One Moment to Dawn
by VampireNaomi
Summary: When Ron's sudden death leaves Kim heartbroken, the last person she needs in her life is the woman who also had feelings for her boyfriend. Eventual Kim/Yori. Written for a pairing trade. Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

Kim Possible belongs to Disney and no copyright infringement is intended.

This story comes from the pairing request challenge at Zaratan's forums, though this is not officially part of it. It was requested by **Alexander – Godslayer** who in turn will write a Monkey Fist/DNAmy fic for me.

As the summary implies, there won't be any Kim/Yori content right away. I want to set the scene before getting to the best parts.

**ONE MOMENT TO DAWN**

**Chapter 1**

Kim had opened the door expecting it to be a random salesman or maybe someone asking around for charity. There really weren't that many people who would just suddenly appear at her doorstep like this. At first she hadn't even recognised the Japanese woman that stood before her, dressed in a dark green winter jacket and her black hair sprinkled with fresh snow. When realisation had suddenly hit her, she hadn't known how to react.

"Yori…" she said in stunned stupor. "What are you doing here?"

"May I come in?" Yori asked. There was a fresh blush on her face, probably the result of having taken the stairs to the seventh floor. There was no elevator in the house in which Kim lived.

Without a word, Kim opened the door wider and stepped aside to let the other woman in. She took her time as she closed the door again and wondered just what she was getting herself into. She certainly hadn't expected to see Yori again in her life. Not after what had happened on the day of Ron's funeral.

* * *

She watched how the pine box was lowered to the hole in the ground, but she wasn't really aware of what was happening. She didn't take part at throwing dirt at the coffin; she didn't hear how the rabbi recited El Maleh Rachamim. None of this had anything to do with her, or Ron. She was just having a horrible nightmare that would end any second now.

That thought was all that had kept Kim together during the funeral. If she couldn't believe that none of this was real, she didn't really have much to believe in at all. Her knuckles were white and hurting from her clenching her fists so much, but she welcomed the pain and much more. It would help her wake up.

"Kim, let's go," someone whispered into her hear. She could feel a hand on her shoulder guide her somewhere. When she blinked and forced herself to concentrate on the moment, she realised that it was her mother. It was time to form the lines for greeting the mourning family members.

She had wanted to learn the proper traditional condolence in Hebrew. The words were all over her mind and she knew she would never forget them. Yet she couldn't bring herself to join the others. When Ron's parents passed her, she lowered her eyes in shame.

She had no idea how it had ended like this. It had been a routine mission for her and Ron; they had been called in to stop one of those random new villains who had popped up after the two of them had started college. They had put their homework aside for the moment and jumped at the chance of getting a break from studying.

Ron had said that after they were done, he'd take her to the movies to see Mind-bender Zombies from Outer Space XII.

And she had – No, she didn't even want to recall what she had thought about that.

_The villain they were out to stop had his lair built atop a tall mountain in Canada. Wade had told them that the best way to get inside unnoticed was by climbing the almost vertical wall to reach the backdoor. It was just simple routine, so neither of them was expecting anything to go wrong._

"_Oh, man. Why can't villains ever build their secret hideouts to places that are easier to reach?" Ron moaned._

"_I guess they wouldn't be secret hideouts then," Kim said, but her mind wasn't really on what Ron was saying. She had spent the past few weeks agonizing over thoughts that were making her feel guilty and uneasy, and she had finally come to a decision just before Wade had told them about the mission. _

"_Hey, I think something's – Aah!"_

"_Ron!"_

_Even before she had fully realised that Ron had slipped, Kim felt the powerful jerk of the rope that connected them to each other. She was barely able to keep her hold of the mountain wall steady as she tried to stop them both from falling._

"_Sorry, KP. I'll get right back up," Ron said and tried to swing himself back towards the wall. _

_Then there was that click._

_Kim fired her grappling gun only a fraction of a second later after the lock that connected the rope to Ron's belt opened and sent her boyfriend falling again. It should have reached him in time, but Kim never felt another jerk or heard Ron's nervous chuckle about how close it had been. _

_When Ron's scream finally ended, all that was left was an eerie silence and her own frantic breathing in her ears. _

"Kim, can you hear me?" she heard her mother ask. Kim knew her mother had given her something to calm her down, probably to stop her from crying her eyes out at the funeral.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied.

"Your father will take you home. I'll stay here for a while," her mother said.

"No! I want to be here, too," Kim said.

Her mother shook her head with a worried frown on her face. "You can say your condolences tomorrow. They'll be sitting in mourning for a few days," she said.

"But I should be there," Kim insisted, though she wasn't really sure about that. Ron wouldn't be there, so was there any point in going? She'd just be a horrible reminder to his parents about what they had lost and why they had lost it. Their only son was dead, and it was all the fault of one Kim Possible.

"Don't worry. Nobody is expecting you to be strong now," her mother told her.

Kim said nothing more, only followed her father to the car. She barely noticed how he tried to smile encouragingly at her or how the scenery flashed past them as they drove home. All she could think about was how Ron hadn't responded when she had called out his name and what his body had looked like when she had found him.

"It's all going to be better. Trust me, Kimmie-cub," her father said when he stopped the car at their front yard.

"How?" Kim asked. "Ron's dead. And it's all because of me!"

"Don't say that. Nobody's blaming you. There was nothing you could have done," her father said in a stern voice, reaching out to wrap his arms around her shoulders.

Kim leaned gratefully against him and momentarily let herself let go of the torment and enjoy the comfort. "I could have stopped it!" she cried between the sobs that made her body shiver.

Her father tightened his hold on her. "Shh. Don't think about it," he whispered into her ear.

But Kim couldn't think about anything else. She knew it had been her fault that Ron had died; she should have been more careful and done something. She shouldn't have become distracted. They had faced and survived so many worse dangers in their lives that it just wasn't fair that a stupid malfunctioning belt would kill him.

She was barely aware how her father carried her up to her room and laid her down on her bed.

"You should sleep a little. Everything will turn out alright," he said. He sat with her for a while, but got up and returned downstairs when Kim drifted off to a bothered sleep.

She woke up to hear faint noise coming from downstairs. Her father was talking to someone. She didn't really care who it was, not in this situation, but she found she couldn't go back to sleep. Her head felt like someone had poured glue into her ears, and her mouth tasted horrible. She could barely swallow, so she reached out for the glass of water on her nightstand.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea to see her today. She's very upset, which she has every right to be," her father was saying.

"I understand, but I will be leaving the country today evening. I was only here for Stoppable-san's funeral," the guest said.

Yori! Kim froze in the middle of lifting the glass to her lips. She hadn't noticed her at the funeral, but that wasn't so surprising. She had noticed barely anything. Of course it made sense that Yori would come to Ron's funeral, though Kim had to wonder who had told her about it. As was tradition, Ron had been buried as soon as possible after his death.

Maybe Wade had done it. Kim had been in too much shock to even remember that Yori existed, but she didn't have it in her to feel guilty about that now.

What could Yori want from her? They had barely been in touch after the Yono incident, and they had never become close friends.

As if her father had read her thoughts, his next question was exactly that. "Why do you want to talk to Kim anyway? I don't really even know you," he said in a defensive tone. Kim realised that her father would probably throw himself in front of a tank right now to keep her safe from any more hurt.

"I mean no harm," Yori assured. "I only want to talk."

Kim put the glass away and slid her feet to the floor without a sound. Something had been in her mind for a good while now. This wasn't the sitch in which she wanted to have her fears confirmed, but she got the feeling that if she didn't do it now, she would never have the courage to do so.

"I think talk could hurt her the most right now. I really have to ask you to --" her father was saying just as Kim popped her head outside her room.

"Hey, Yori," she said, wincing inwardly at how raspy her voice sounded.

"Kim Possible," Yori greeted her.

"I heard you were talking. Come in," Kim offered.

Her father shot a worried look at her. "Are you sure about that, honey? You don't have to see anyone if you don't want to," he said.

Kim tried to smile. "I know, dad. It's okay. Yori is a friend."

"Well, alright, but take it easy. You've been through a lot," her father said. He kept looking at the two of them with a concerned frown. Kim was certain that he would be standing close by to run to her rescue if she suddenly needed anything. As if she had to fear anything from Yori.

"You said you wanted to talk," she said.

"Yes. I am very sorry about what happened. Stoppable-san was a hero; he did not deserve to die that way," Yori said, her voice laced with regret.

"Yeah, I know," Kim said, turning her eyes away as the familiar feeling of regret and shame washed over her. Wade had probably filled Yori in on what had happened. The ninja had to hate her and think she was the worst sort of amateur and traitor in the world.

Yori frowned at the pained look on Kim's face. "I'm sorry if my words wound you. I did not come here to make your sorrow worse," she said.

"It's okay. It's just that… I'm really not in the mood for friendly chitchat right now."

"I understand. If you ever want to talk about it, you can place your trust in me," Yori said.

"What is there to talk about? Ron is gone," Kim said. She didn't mean to sound as snappy as she did, but Yori didn't seem to mind her iron tone. She sat in silence for a moment and then sighed.

"Maybe you're now hurting too much. But if you need me in the future, I'll be there," Yori promised.

Kim shot a suspicious look at her. "And what about you? You're taking this awfully well," she said.

Now Yori couldn't quite keep the emotion away from her face, but Kim couldn't tell if the brief wince was one of sorrow or just surprise. She hadn't expected Yori to be crying her eyes out, but the ninja was acting like nothing had happened. Didn't she understand that Ron was dead? Her Ron!

"I have my own way of dealing with pain, Kim Possible. Stoppable-san's death has hurt me deeply, make no mistake about that," Yori said. She didn't sound offended or condescending, but that only made Kim feel even more annoyed at her. Did she have to be that perfect and calm?

"Yeah, actually that's what I wanted to talk about," she said.

"What do you mean?" Yori asked.

Kim flipped her hair behind her shoulder and gave Yori a stern look. This had been in her mind for so long lately that she just had to know it. If the answer was what she was expecting, it would probably only make her feel more guilty, but she couldn't go on without learning the truth.

"Did you love Ron?" she asked.

Yori's eyes widened and she shifted on the chair, but she quickly got her feelings under control again.

"When we battled Monkey Fist that time, I told you I had nothing against you two being together. That never changed," she assured her.

"That's not what I meant. Did you love him?" Kim insisted.

"I don't think it is appropriate to discuss that at a time like this. Maybe I should go," Yori said. She already got up and took the first step towards the door, but Kim grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Yori, I need to know," she said.

Yori tilted her head slightly to the side. "Why?" she asked. "Is there any purpose in it?"

"I… It's something that's been on my mind. I have a few things that I need to come to terms with. Don't ask," Kim replied, letting go of Yori's arm.

"And you're asking me to reveal my most guarded secrets without telling me why?"

"Please." Kim did her best to ignore the guilt she felt at Yori's accusing tone. She already felt like the worst person in the world. She didn't need any more of that.

Yori sighed. "Alright. I cannot say I understand how this will help you, but maybe you know better. Yes, I did love him. I loved him more than I have ever loved anyone," she said.

Kim thought she had been force-fed the bitterest poison in the world. She tried to swallow the painful lump in her throat, but it only helped to intensify the illusion that she was about to choke on her own breath. She had known Yori would say this, but it didn't make it any easier. How cruel she had been all those years.

"Then why didn't you fight for him? Why did you just step aside?" she asked, staring into Yori's dark eyes and pleading for a good answer.

There was the faintest sad smile playing on Yori's lips. "Stoppable-san chose you. It was my honour to respect that," she said.

Kim felt tears burn in her eyes. "That's crap!" she snapped, making Yori take a startled gasp. "You should have done something! If you had made Ron change his mind, maybe he would have gone with you to Japan! Look what happened to him when he stuck with me!"

She wiped her eyes, angry and a little ashamed that she was letting Yori see her like that. She wasn't supposed to appear weak, no matter what the sitch was. When she turned to look at her guest again, she saw only stunned confusion on her face.

"But it wasn't your fault. It was an accident," Yori said.

"It shouldn't have happened! How many times did I save him before? That was so basic… it's just… I don't make mistakes like that! I'm better than that!" Kim had to turn away from Yori to hide her face; she couldn't let her see how upset she really was. It was like she had been turned back into a child who just couldn't control her emotions.

"Nobody is perfect. You did everything you could to save him," Yori said softly.

Kim hated, no, she _loathed_ that understanding and sympathetic voice.

"Can't at least you hate me?" she asked.

"Why would you want me to do that?"

"Because that's what I deserve! At first I took Ron away from you, and then I let him die! You should hate me! Everybody should hate me, but you're all acting so understanding. Just tell me you hate me," Kim pleaded. She ran her hands through her hairs and didn't even try to hold back the sobs anymore. Her vision was too blurred by her tears to see much, but she could hear how Yori stood up.

She was expecting her to say share some comforting eastern mysticism with her, so she was actually stunned when she heard the vicious tone in Yori's voice.

"Why? So that you could feel less guilty, Kim Possible? That could you feel you're receiving the treatment you think you deserve? That's not something I can help you with. You have to deal with this yourself," she said.

"I don't want to," Kim cried. She had betrayed Ron in the worst possible way. How could she ever live with that? "I just want Ron back."

"So do I, but it will not happen. You will have to learn to accept this and show that Stoppable-san didn't fall in love with you for nothing," Yori said.

"Get lost!"

Kim grabbed her pillow and hurled it at Yori who easily dodged it. She turned and walked to the door but stopped to glance back before opening it.

"I hope you are feeling better when we meet again," she said.

At that moment Kim decided that she never wanted to see Yori again. Maybe she could have dealt with her if Yori hadn't loved Ron, but now she didn't even want to think about her. She grabbed her Pandaroo and clutched the stuffed toy in her arms as she cried. She really had stolen Ron from her in every way and what good had it done to anyone?

* * *

Kim tried to put up a brave face and continue her studies at Middleton Community College to make others stop worrying about her, but in private all she did was sit curled up on her bed, think about Ron, look at old photos of them and cry. She didn't feel like keeping in touch with her friends. Monique had called her almost every day for the past few weeks, but even she grew tired when Kim didn't answer. Kim was just glad Monique was in Paris because otherwise her friend would have no doubt come to smack some sense into her head.

Whenever someone else tried to reach out to her, she made some excuse. Sometimes she told them she was going to a party or out with some friend or even that she had to study, but no matter how good the lies were, she suspected that they all knew the truth.

She sent her Kimmunicator and all gadgets back to Wade. She would never go on another mission again in her life. It didn't feel right without Ron, and how could anyone even trust her when she had failed her boyfriend that badly? She also closed down her website so that she wouldn't have to deal with any of it.

Her family wasn't that easy to fool. Though the Tweebs were starting their first year in college in the west, they kept hacking into her computer and sending her messages that reminded her to get out more and cheer up. Kim didn't want to make them worried, so she tried to reply to her brothers somewhat regularly.

One evening there was a knock at her door. Kim got up from her bed and shoved the photo book under her pillow, quickly wiping her eyes to make herself look presentable.

"Yeah?" she called out.

"Kim, it's me. Can I come in?" her mother asked.

"I'm studying," Kim said.

"I think you can put your books aside for a while. We need to talk."

Kim cringed but knew there was little she could do about that. She tried to blink to get rid of the misty look in her eyes and hoped that her mother wouldn't say anything about it. She had talked about Ron and the final mission so much that she just couldn't take it anymore.

Dr. Anne Possible entered the room and came to sit at the end of Kim's bed. She lifted her brows a little at her daughter's looks, but thankfully didn't make an issue out of it.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Kim asked, trying to feign innocence.

Her mother gave her a stern look. "Honey, I think you know," she said.

She waited a while, but Kim said nothing.

"You can't go on like this, Kim. You have to stop hurting yourself," her mother said.

"I don't know what you mean. I'm doing fine. My studies are going really well," Kim said.

"Perhaps a little too well. Your father and I think that you're spending too much time cooped up in your room. It's not good for you, and it pains us to see you wither like this," her mother said.

Kim turned her eyes away as she felt another pang of guilt. She hadn't meant to make anyone worried about her, but she didn't know how they could just expect her to go back to her old life like nothing had happened. Everything had changed, and she knew she would never get used to it or accept it.

"I know you miss Ron," her mother said gently. "We all do. But it's not going to get any better if you don't let it to."

"It's not going to get better anyway!" Kim snapped.

"Kim…"

"Things can't go back like they were. Not without Ron!"

"No, but you can still enjoy life. Ron wouldn't want you to live like this," her mother said.

Kim felt like rolling her eyes at the oldest cliché in the book, but she didn't want to upset her mother. She was only trying to help her, and deep down Kim knew that everything her mother said had a point. It was just that she wasn't sure if she even wanted to try. It felt so pointless.

"I want him back," was all that she managed to whisper. If she could only live that day a second time, she would have done everything differently. They wouldn't have gone on that mission. She would have told Ron what was on her mind.

"Oh, Kimmie," her mother said. She opened her arms to offer her daughter a comforting embrace, but Kim didn't move from her spot.

"The pain will never go away, but you'll learn to live with it. You'll just have to try," Dr. Possible continued.

"How can ask that of me, mom? Everything here reminds me of Ron. I can't stay in my room or walk out of it without being reminded of him all the time. There isn't anything in Middleton that doesn't make me think of him," Kim said. She grabbed one of her pillows and punched it in the middle.

"You don't need to forget him. You probably feel that it's never going to happen, but one day you'll be able to think about him without it hurting so much," her mother said.

"Somehow I doubt that," Kim muttered to the pillow, but deep down she knew that it was true.

* * *

She lived the whole year in a blur, concentrating so much on her studies that she barely had time for anything else. Though she no longer went on missions, she kept herself in shape, mostly because the heavy exercise let her concentrate on her body and forget how much she missed Ron. Slowly but surely, she got a hold of her life again and could go out and enjoy the things she had liked before. She didn't forget about the pain and longing for a single moment, but it turned into an aching numbness that she could almost deal with.

Her parents were concerned about her, and Kim guessed that they thought she wasn't alright even if everything seemed to be okay. She knew they kept asking the questions and urging her to go out more only because they loved her, but it didn't stop her from growing angry at them every now and then.

Monique came to visit her for Christmas, but it was a very awkward meeting that left Kim feeling guilty and disheartened. Her friend had tried everything to make her feel better, but neither of them had known how to act around each other. It was very much the same with everyone else. When she went out to the store, familiar faces looked at her in pity. At first she had only turned away, but after a while she had felt rage start to bubble inside her.

Exactly why did everyone think it was their business how she felt? Did they honestly thing she would go back to her old life like nothing had happened? And as soon as she was angry, it was so much easier to forget that everyone was only worried about her. It felt much better to think that they only wanted her to forget so that _they_ could forget and go back to their lives like Ron had never existed.

She stopped to adjust her ponytail; it always got a little out of control when she was jogging. It was Saturday morning so early that most people were still asleep, but that was fine with Kim. She liked these crisp mornings that enabled her to be alone and free of everything. It was so therapeutic to run through the park without having people wonder why she was in such a hurry.

The fact was that her jogging was more like sprinting to the point of exhaustion. It was only when her muscles were starting to ache and her lungs burn in desperate need for more oxygen that she was able to push the outside world and her hurt away from her mind and only be aware of her body.

She was about to resume her workout, but then she realised where she had stopped. It was the farthest corner of the park where there weren't any benches, so few people ever came there. A large maple tree had stood looming there for as long as Kim could remember. She and Ron had often sat under it as children, especially when they had wanted to share secrets that they never wanted to reveal to anyone.

Kim sat down on the moist grass and leaned her back against the tree. When she closed her eyes, she could almost sense Ron there beside her.

"_Hey, KP! Take a look at this!" little Ron said and showed her his hands that were clasped together, clearly hiding something inside._

_Kim tilted her head in curiosity. "What's in there?"_

"_That's a secret!" Ron couldn't hide his excitement from his best friend. His face was almost split by a massive grin, and his eyes were shining so brightly that whatever he was holding in his hands had to be something spectacular, at least for him. Kim wasn't always so enthusiastic about the same things._

"_Well, can't you show me?" she asked._

"_Okay, but you have to promise you won't ever tell anyone!" Ron said._

"_I promise."_

"_Swear to the sacred maple tree, KP. Otherwise it won't mean a thing."_

_Kim couldn't help but giggle. "I swear to the sacred maple tree and my Pandaroo."_

"_Ooh, that's nice. Okay, so take a look." _

_Ron slowly lifted his other hand and revealed what he was holding. Kim didn't know what she had been expecting, but the truth still was somewhat of a disappointment._

"_A nail?" she asked doubtfully, but Ron wasn't at all bothered by her tone._

"_Uh-huh."_

"_Just a nail?"_

"_Not just a nail. This happens to be the very first nail that my dad is going to use when he starts building my new tree house!" Ron announced._

"_Your dad is building you a tree house! Cool!" Kim couldn't help getting excited herself. She loved climbing in trees and making daring jumps from one branch to another, but her parents had said they would never have a tree house in their garden. Her twin brothers, though only a couple of years old, were already causing enough semi-catastrophic mishaps._

"_We can start our own club! Just the two of us. We can read comics and eat tacos forever!" Ron declared._

Kim wiped her eyes as she recalled the memory, angry at herself that she had let her emotions get the better of her again. Just thinking about Ron made her heart ache so much that she almost wished it would have stopped beating. Would she ever be able to think about everything they had shared without feeling this terrible pain?

She didn't want to get up and leave her spot under the tree, but she knew her parents would soon start wondering what was taking so long. It was also time to leave now if she wanted to make it before happy couples and families with small children came to enjoy the park. Right now she didn't feel up to facing any of them.

I can't go on like this, she thought to herself. Was she really so weak that she couldn't go out to the park without some memory making her cry? Would she be like that for the rest of her life, always clinging onto Ron's memory and being emotionally handicapped?

"That's not how I want to live," she muttered, a scowl forming on her face as the old spark of stubbornness and fighting spirit flared up inside her.

She would never forget Ron, and she would never stop loving him, but she could at least try to deal. To do that, she would have to take matters into her own hands. She continued her jogging, enjoying the rhythm of her steps as a plan started to take shape in her head.


	2. Chapter 2

Kim Possible belongs to Disney.

I used the names Dean and Francine for Ron's parents, but I didn't come up with those names. I know I picked them up from some fanfic, but I can't remember whose story it was.

Just to make it clear, the Yori scene in this chapter is direct continuation to the first scene in the previous chapter. From this point on the story will develop chronologically.

**ONE MOMENT TO DAWN**

**Chapter 2**

"Mom. Dad," Kim started one morning at the breakfast table.

Her father peered at her from over his newspaper. While her mother insisted on talking about what had happened, her father had mostly let her to herself. Kim knew he would always be there if she needed him, and she was grateful for that he didn't try to push the issue. Somehow he had always been the best at understanding how she felt and what she needed.

"Yes?" her father asked.

Kim toyed with the spoon in her hand. Her parents probably wouldn't take this well.

"I'm thinking about moving out," she said.

Her mother stopped working on the cookie dough on the counter and turned to look at her daughter with brows raised in surprise.

"What do you mean?" she asked. If Kim hadn't known her mother better, she could have almost imagined that there was a panicked twinge in her voice.

"Well, I'm old enough to be on my own, and I can't stay here forever," she reasoned.

"But your college is right here! There's no need for you to move," her mother said. She walked over to the sink to wash her hands, the dough now forgotten.

"Well, I don't know," her father said good-heartedly, "It could be good for her to practice living on her own. I can help you find a nice little place near the college."

Kim squirmed. "Actually, by out I meant moving out of… Middleton."

"What? Absolutely out of the question!" her father blurted out.

"But --" Kim tried, but she was interrupted by her mother.

"Where did you get an idea like that? You can't leave your studies," she said.

"Not to mention us," her father added with a disapproving frown. He folded the paper and put it aside.

Kim had known her parents wouldn't like the idea, so she had prepared a few good arguments for her case.

"I could transfer to another college. I already talked to Mr. Stalton, and he said that I could apply to Layton City College because they have a better selection of courses on criminal law. I would have to do something like that anyway if I want my degree to have any value," she said. Well, that wasn't exactly honest, but it was true that Middleton Community College wasn't really among the best in the country.

Kim wasn't sure if it even mattered. Now that she was no longer going on missions and saving the world with Ron, she couldn't imagine herself having anything to do with justice or fighting for it. She was only continuing her studies because she hadn't known what else to do.

"I don't like it," her father said. "I don't want my daughter to live all alone in a strange city."

"But you let the Tweebs move to the other side of the country!" Kim snapped.

Her father shrugged it off. "They have each other."

"And that's supposed to be reassuring?" Kim asked.

"At least they'll protect each other from harpies who only want to hurt them!" her father argued.

"I thought you told them that having fun with girls is part of college life," Kim pointed out.

Her mother sat on the empty chair beside her and put her hands on Kim's shoulders. "I think your father means that he doesn't want you to get hurt. You've never lived on your own, and it might not be the best solution in this situation," she said.

"But it's only a four-hour drive to Layton! It's not like we would never see each other again," Kim said, for the moment ignoring the rest her mother had said. It was a better strategy to ruin her parents' defences one at a time.

"Well, what about your living? Rent, food, books, phone bills… Those aren't cheap," her father said.

"I know," Kim said. This was probably the biggest obstacle of them all. She had never charged for her missions, hadn't really worked apart from that short Bueno Nacho experience and she didn't have that much savings. "I'm thinking about getting a job."

"Combining work and studies is really hard. Believe me; I worked my way through med-school. I wouldn't want you to do the same since there's no absolute need to," her mother said.

Kim snorted and rolled her eyes. "I was able to juggle school, cheer practice, world saving and my social life in high school. A job and studies together will be no big," she said. She saw that her father was about to say something, so she quickly continued, "As for my safety, I think I can handle myself. I've taken out insane scientists and kung fu masters. Nothing I'll meet in Layton can match up to that."

"I still don't like it," her father grumbled.

"Neither do I," her mother said, though her tone was already more understanding. "And I don't think that it's just the new college that's attracting you. Why do you really want to go?"

Kim drew a breath. This was the real reason behind her decision. How she presented this would determine whether she'd get her parents on her side or not.

"I need a break," she started. "I can't concentrate here. Everything and everyone here just makes me think of Ron. It hurts too much, and I don't think I can move on when he's so close to me all the time. I need to get a little distance." She didn't know where she should have looked when she spoke, so her eyes wandered from her parents to the fruit bowl and to her knees and back. She didn't usually feel that insecure when speaking up, but now she found she was almost ashamed of what she was saying. Getting distance from Ron? It just wasn't right, and at the same time it was all she could imagine herself doing. It hurt too much to stay where she was.

"Are you sure this is the best way to do it? You'd be all alone there. What if something goes wrong?" her father asked.

"I can't stay here forever, and what's the worst that can happen?" Kim said. Everything had already gone wrong for her, so no matter what happened, it wouldn't feel like much.

"Kim, when I said that you need to move on, I didn't mean that you must forget Ron," her mother said.

"I'm not going to forget him! I just need to live a while away from all this," Kim insisted. She switched her stare from one parent to another, feverishly hoping that they'd at least try to understand her.

"It does seem to me like you're running away from something," her mother started.

"Mom, I --"

"But," her mother interrupted her in a stern voice, "If this is what you really want, there isn't much we can do to stop you."

"You mean I can go?" Kim asked, blinking in surprise.

"No, but we're going to think about this. We can't rush a decision like this," her mother said.

Kim frowned in disappointment, but she supposed it had gone better than she had expected. She knew her mind wouldn't change, so either her parents would let her go or she'd do it without their approval.

She decided to give her parents a few days to discuss the matter with each other. Kim hoped they would eventually see things her way; she didn't want to hurt them or start stupid arguments.

* * *

A few months later she found herself standing in a small apartment – as he father hadn't allowed her to live at the college dorm in fear of bad influence – that was still bare and uninviting as it had no furniture or any of her personal belongings inside. The air smelled strange; the previous tenant had probably been a smoker, but overall everything was clean and worked. Cold couldn't get through the windows.

Most importantly, the apartment wasn't filled with memories.

"It's a good thing dad had to go to that conference," Jim said as he and his brother were carrying the bed inside.

"If he had seen this place, he would have never let you move out," Tim added.

"Like he has any choice now. I already transferred here," Kim said. "And it's not that bad. Don't forget I've seen your dorm."

She was grateful that her brothers had been able to put their studies aside for a while and come and help her to move. She hadn't seen them in a few months, and it would have been awkward to leave home without even saying goodbye to them. Out of everyone in her life, the twins were the easiest to hang around with after Ron's death. They didn't act like she was suddenly made of glass. They let her mourn Ron the way she wanted to, but she knew they'd always be there for her.

"Where do you want the bookcase?" Tim asked once they were done with the bed.

Kim was still at the stairs, carrying two rolled-up carpets with her. "I'll find a place for it. You don't need to stick around for decorating," she said.

"Are you kidding? We aren't going to let you move all of this on your own," Tim said.

"Especially since we need to show off how we've worked out!" Jim declared. To emphasise, he and his brother flexed their arms to impress Kim, but she only chuckled and shook her head.

"Since when do you two care about muscles? I would have thought you'd build a robot for moving this stuff," she said.

"We tried," Tim said.

"But the prototype didn't really work the way we wanted," Jim said.

"And besides, some exercise never killed anyone," Tim added.

Kim shot a knowing smile at her brothers, wondering if they would already bring home girlfriends the next time they visited their parents. The thought both amused her and filled her with an empty feeling of melancholy; it was hard to believe that her annoying little brothers were already in college and had grown up.

They finished bringing in all the furniture and other items from the car. The apartment that had looked small in the beginning was positively cramped now. Kim had no idea how she would ever be able to fit the contents of all the boxes into the place.

"Maybe I brought too much stuff with me," she mused. She was used to having space around her, so this had been little of a surprise.

"Don't worry; we can take the extra back with us. Just decide if there's something you don't need," Tim suggested.

"Okay. In the meantime, the two of you could pop down that Chinese place down the street and get us some take-out. I'm not going to cook in this mess," Kim said.

Jim snorted. "Like you could cook anyway. That's not really your forte, sis," he said.

"Yeah, maybe not," Kim admitted with a sad smile. Cooking had always been Ron's field. He would always joke that he'd probably be the one to bring the food to the table, just not the way it was traditionally meant.

When her brothers were gone, she turned to look at the messy apartment and furniture that looked like it didn't belong to her anymore. It felt strange, but she didn't regret moving out and leaving Middleton because she knew she had to be by herself for a while if she wanted to learn to deal with everything that had happened. It would be easier to think about Ron if there wasn't constantly something reminding her of him, how much she had loved him and that he was forever gone from her life.

And then there was the nagging guilt. Not a day had gone by without her recalling those crucial moments that had flashed past her so fast and yet had felt like a horrible eternity. She knew she could have saved Ron if she had been just a little faster, or if she had aimed better, or if her mind had been entirely on the mission.

She walked over to the box where she knew Pandaroo was and picked up the stuffed toy. She sat on an armchair her parents had bought her and curled her legs under her, looking around her apartment with the toy in her hands.

I should have talked to Ron before we went on that mission, she thought. She had known the issue wouldn't leave her mind until she had dealt with it, but she had thought it wouldn't be a problem. She was Kim Possible. She could do anything, including push her problems away when needed.

If she had had the courage to confront him, maybe they wouldn't have gone on that mission at all. Or maybe he would have understood and everything would have been the same as before. Then she would have been able to save him, just like countless times before. How different things would have been then.

Kim thought back to the day of the funeral and how she had talked to Yori. She regretted some of the things she had said, but her opinion had mostly remained the same. Yori had every right to hate her. The ninja had been in love with Ron, and it was Kim's fault that he had been lost to her. She should have at least admitted that she resented Kim for that, but she had remained annoyingly calm and good-natured, like she understood everything. Kim preferred it when people were honest, so Yori's attitude really got under her skin.

She wondered if Ron would have pursued a relationship with Yori if the two of them hadn't got together. Would he have been happy with her?

No, there was no use to play with what-ifs if she didn't want to mess her head. She had reality to deal with.

* * *

Her new life in Layton wasn't all moonlight and roses. She had lived her entire life surrounded by family and friends, so at first being so alone was almost unbearable. She would come to her apartment after classes and wander between the small excuse of a kitchen and the bedroom, not feeling at ease and not knowing what to do. Eventually she developed the habit of putting the TV on even if she wasn't watching it, just to break the silence.

She got a job as a waitress in a small café preferred by older and more well to do people. She didn't really enjoy it, but neither did she loathe it. The pay was a little better than in most waitress jobs and she had flexible hours. In the past that would have been an advantage for going on missions, but now it didn't really matter. She simply enjoyed having some control over her shifts.

Her new college was everything she had been expecting, and she was quickly accepted by the people in her study groups. She didn't want to become popular like back in Middleton, but it was entirely against her nature to brood and angst alone, so she almost accidentally made some friends right in the first week. It was nice to talk to people who hadn't known Ron personally and who treated her like there was nothing wrong.

Yet she couldn't forget Ron for a single day. The stupidest things kept reminding her of him. If somebody walked past her carrying take-out from Bueno Nacho, she instantly thought back to the countless times they had sat together at their favourite table. The local radio stations really liked playing the songs that had played at their prom, so Kim had to stop listening to them if she didn't want to cry every time the familiar songs came on.

Her parents called her almost every day for the first week, and Kim was glad for their concern. It somehow felt easier dealing with them when they weren't right next to her. It was only certain topics that brought her on the edge.

"Francine was here yesterday. She wanted to know how you're doing," her mother said one time.

Kim cringed. She hadn't really talked to Ron's parents after the funeral. She had paid her condolences and said how sorry she was about everything, but their company had mostly made her feel awkward. She felt like she couldn't reach out them in their sorrow because she was certain that they were blaming her. They had to. She had dragged Ron out on missions and she had failed at protecting him. She couldn't face them when she had not yet dealt with the issue herself.

"You can tell her I'm fine," she said.

"She's worried about you. She wishes you would have at least said goodbye to them," her mother said. There was a scolding tone in her voice that told Kim that she agreed with that.

"I know," she said. "I'll talk to them later when I know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything special, Kim. They're not strangers," her mother said.

"It's just that… I think they blame me for what happened to Ron," Kim admitted.

"No, they don't. Everybody knows it was an accident."

"But --"

"Kim, you're the only one who thinks it was your fault. Nobody else blames you at all. Please realise that," her mother said sternly.

Kim swallowed to clear her suddenly tight throat. "I can't, mom. If I had done something else, Ron would still be alive," she said.

"That's nonsense. If you don't stop blaming yourself, you'll never start feeling better," her mother said.

Deep down Kim knew that it was true, but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. She was used to that she could defeat every obstacle by charging right at it, so she was certain that she could do that with this situation as well. She could deal with this her own way.

Eventually her life settled down into a routine. She went to class, hung around with new friends and kept herself in shape. She tried to think about Ron as little as possible, but sometimes the memories simply washed over her and left her sobbing to her Pandaroo and cursing herself for letting him die. Her parents visited her a couple of times, but she never went back to Middleton. She wanted to, but somehow she never got around doing it. There was always something that she told herself was important and needed her to stay in Layton.

It was one dark November evening when she was finishing an essay for one of her classes but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Not knowing who it could possibly be, she went to open and got the biggest surprise in a long time.

* * *

Yori was sitting on Kim's couch, keeping her slender hands on her knees and looking at her host with those annoyingly calm eyes of hers. She had taken off her coat, revealing a blue pullover and jeans. It was the first time Kim saw her wearing anything other than a ninja garb or a school uniform.

"Alright, so what do you want?" she asked and crossed her arms on her chest.

"Is that the American way to treat guests, Kim Possible?" Yori asked.

"When the guest is unannounced and no doubt came to cause trouble, yeah," Kim replied. She tried to read Yori's face to guess what she could want, but there was nothing that betrayed her thoughts. Darn her for being a ninja.

Yori shook her head. "I am not here to cause trouble," she said.

"Then why?"

"I only came here to talk."

Kim lifted a doubtful brow. "All the way from Japan?" she asked. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so hostile all of a sudden, but Yori's arrival felt like an invasion of her privacy. Just looking at her made her mind wander back to the past, their shared missions and most importantly, Ron.

"No, from Middleton, actually," Yori said. At Kim's questioning look, she continued, "I was visiting little Hana. Her parents mentioned that they were worried about you."

"What did they say?" Kim asked. If they felt that it was her fault Ron was dead, they might have told Yori about it. Maybe they thought that the ninja would have been a better girlfriend for their son.

Yori frowned at Kim's tight tone. "They were disappointed that you haven't visited them since the funeral. They miss you," she said.

"I've been busy," Kim replied. Why did she have to explain herself to Yori anyway? What she did with her life was not Yori's business.

"So, you just came to say that, huh? Well, now you've done it," she said.

"I do not see why you're being so hostile to me. I came here as a friend," Yori said. "But I see I am not welcome."

No, she wasn't, but Kim couldn't just kick her out like that. Regardless of what she felt now – and to be honest, she didn't know if she should have resented Yori or seen her as a friend – Yori had been a trustworthy ally in the past. It just wasn't right to send her back to the snowy evening without at least giving her time to warm up first.

"Sorry, but this wasn't really the best time. I _have_ been busy lately," Kim said and nodded at her laptop where the word processor was still running.

"My apologies. I should have announced that I was coming," Yori said.

"Yeah, maybe."

Then there was nothing but awkward silence. At first Yori kept looking intently at Kim who found her stare somewhat unnerving but didn't want to be the first one to turn her eyes away. As she looked at Yori, she couldn't help but imagine her with Ron. Would it have worked out between the two of them?

"So, uh, can I get you anything?" she finally asked.

"No, thank you. I'm fine," Yori said.

"Oh, okay. I don't drink tea anyway."

"It might be a good idea that I go. I am sorry for bothering you," Yori said. She got up from the couch and took one last, almost disappointed look at Kim. The redhead felt annoyance flare up; just what had Yori been expecting from her?

"It's late. Do you have a place to go to?" she asked.

"Yes, I am staying a hotel."

Kim only nodded. Yori started to put on her coat and walked to the door.

"I'm sorry we couldn't talk. Maybe I was expecting too much," she said.

"What exactly did you want to talk about? If the Stoppables asked you to see me, you could at least tell me what this is about," Kim demanded with a frown.

Yori shook her head. "They have nothing to do with this. This is all my own doing. I only wanted to see how you were doing and maybe talk about Stoppable-san," she said.

"About Ron? Why?" Kim asked. The last time they had talked about him had been a catastrophe, and she felt like cringing when she thought about what she had said. It was no wonder she had been upset, but she should have been able to control herself better than that. Yori certainly hadn't lost herself to her sorrow back then.

It was like Yori had guessed what she had to be thinking. "Last time didn't go very smoothly, but I understand you were consumed by your sorrow. I don't want there to be bad blood between us, so I came to talk things through," she said.

"I don't think there's really anything to talk about. I loved Ron. You loved Ron. Now he's gone and we can't do anything about that," Kim stated.

"You sound like you're accusing me of something. Tell me, do you still think I should have fought for Stoppable-san's affections?" Yori asked. She had turned away from the door and her hands were resting on the dark green buttons of her coat, like she couldn't decide if she wanted to start undressing again.

Kim rubbed her arm guiltily. "I shouldn't have said that," she admitted. Had Yori done that, she would have probably started to hate her, had she been successful or not. And even if she had got Ron, that wouldn't have guaranteed that he'd still be alive. He could have been killed on that or any other mission anyway.

And yet there was that one doubt in her mind.

"But you could have tried. You had your eyes on him first, you know," she continued.

"I didn't realise it was a competition," Yori said. "And if it was, you certainly had the advantage," she added.

Kim blinked at the sudden tensioning in Yori's tone. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"You had known him since you were children, Kim Possible. You two had lived your entire lives right next to each other. I was on the other side of the world. What could I have done?" Yori replied.

"You could have tried! E-mail exists, and if you don't have computers at Yamanouchi, I'm sure snail mail isn't an unfamiliar concept to you," Kim said. So, it had been her fault that Ron had chosen her, ultimately sealing his own doom?

Yori angrily brushed some of her hair behind her ear. "Why are we discussing this again? Do you really think Stoppable-san would still be alive if he had chosen me?" she demanded.

"Maybe," Kim muttered stubbornly.

"Exactly; you can't know. There is no point talking about what we could have done differently. It's all in the past," Yori said.

For Kim it wasn't. Not a day had gone by without her wallowing in her guilt and wondering if she could have done something differently and if everything really wasn't her fault. The more people told her that she was not to blame, the angrier and more frustrated she became. If it wasn't her fault, then whose was it? Somebody had to be guilty.

"Just… just don't try that self-righteous crap with me, okay?" she blurted out before she even realised what she was about to say. She didn't even feel guilty about her outburst, not even when she saw Yori's eyes widen a little at her unexpected words and venomous tone.

"But I—"

"Don't. So maybe you got over Ron just like that, but I haven't, and I won't. I'll always be thinking about him, and the fact that you storm into my home acting like he's insignificant isn't helping! Just what do you want?" Kim ranted.

Yori's face twisted in annoyance, but she was much better at holding back her emotions than Kim.

"I'm sorry. I certainly see now what a bad time this was," she said.

Kim just groaned. "Look, there you go again. Why must you talk to me like I'm a child? I don't need your understanding or pity! I just want you to be honest with me!"

"About what?" Yori demanded, frustration creeping into her voice as well.

"About Ron!"

"But I am! You know how I felt about him, but I chose to step aside because he didn't want me! What more do you need to know?"

Kim opened her mouth to shoot back a snappy response, but she realised that she had no idea what to say. What did she want from Yori? The other woman had told her how she felt about Ron and that she respected his decision to be with Kim. She hadn't done anything wrong, and yet she was now being treated like a criminal by someone who should have been an ally.

She swallowed, suddenly engulfed by emotion that she couldn't name. It was like shame, regret and hopelessness rolled into one ball that was slowly forced down her throat.

"How did you get over Ron?" she asked quietly. Yori hadn't expressed any sadness over his death in her company; it was like she wasn't at all touched by what had happened.

"I had to learn to accept the truth. Sensei says that things happen the way they are meant to, even if we may not see it that way," Yori replied. Kim was reminded of that battle against Monkey Fist in the yellow shrine back when they had searched for the secret weapon. Yori had said something very similar back then, but she had been smiling with acceptance. Now her face was almost emotionless, and only the faintest frown revealed her uneasiness.

Kim swallowed. "I can never accept it," she said.

"Then your life is going to be a very empty one," Yori pointed out.

"Do you think I don't know that? There is nothing I can do. Ron isn't coming back!" Kim snapped. She had thought she wouldn't cry over talking about his death anymore, but she could already feel her eyes burning and her voice getting hoarse. It wasn't entirely because of sadness and longing; it was also because she was jealous and angry. Why was it that Yori had moved on with her life like that when she kept on suffering? It wasn't fair!

"I don't want to accept it," she added stubbornly, trying to keep her voice down so that Yori wouldn't notice how hard it was for her to keep herself together. It was probably a silly effort. Yori was a ninja and could read her like an open book.

"So, you're just giving up? You aren't even trying to move on?" Yori asked, a hint of disbelief and annoyance making her voice harsh.

Kim's head shot up. All her previous irritation at Yori came right back. How dare she judge her like that and act like she was so much better?

"Why do you think I moved away from Middleton?" she demanded of her. "All of this is because I'm trying to build a life without Ron. Don't you dare speak to me like I'm giving up!" she snapped.

Yori kept a thoughtful pause. "To me this feels more like you're running away from his memory instead of accepting it as part of your life," she said.

That's it. Kim jumped to her feet and took one furious step towards the other woman, then stopped, not knowing whether she wanted to attack her or get as far away from her as possible. "How dare you? What right do you have to come here and talk like that to me?" she asked.

"None," Yori admitted calmly. "It only angers me that someone as strong and proud as you is throwing everything away like this."

"I can do anything I want!" Kim snapped. Yori's words not only offended her, but they made her remember that uncomfortable knot inside her. Her mother had also expressed her worries about that she might be running away from Middleton and Ron. But it wasn't like that. She really needed to get away from everything, just for a while. Why did Yori have to keep insisting that she was doing something wrong? Even if she didn't say it straight to her face, just that look in her eyes was enough to drive Kim to the edge.

Yori's lips tightened into a grim line. "You're right. It's your choice and responsibility what you decide to do with your life. Pity that you've chosen this road," she said.

"Then what would you have me do instead?" Kim asked, rage bubbling inside her and threatening to break to the surface. It felt like her mind had become dislocated from her body and that she wasn't fully in control of her actions or words anymore.

"I can't tell you what you need to do. That is something you have to discover yourself," Yori replied.

And there she went again, feeding her that annoying wisdom garbage that made her sound wise and understanding but that wasn't helpful at all. Kim just couldn't understand how Ron had survived in Yamanouchi if it was anything like this. If Yori said just one more word, Kim might blow up at her face.

"Well, isn't that convenient? I guess you think it's fun coming here to lecture at me and then offer me no advice when I ask for it," she said in a venomous tone.

Yori sighed. "No matter what I say, I end up offending you. I know how you feel and what doubts are tormenting your mind, but --"

"No, you don't! Don't even try that with me!" Kim snapped.

"I loved him as well, Kim Possible."

"And yet you act like he doesn't matter at all!"

"I know it must be different for us. Stoppable-san was the great love of your life, and --"

"No, he wasn't!"

Her hand flew to her mouth in a futile attempt to keep the words inside her, but they were out before she realised she had even started to say them. That was not what she had wanted to say to Yori. That was something she had never ever planned to tell anyone. It pained her too much to even think about those words.

Yori was looking at her with a confused frown on her face. Kim knew that she would have to say something now, but she had no idea what she could do to fix the damage. Yori couldn't be tricked easily.

"I mean, I do love him. I love him more than anyone else in the world," she started.

"But?" Yori asked, her tone oddly weak all of a sudden.

Kim shifted and turned her eyes to the floor. She knew what she had to say, but she didn't want to look at Yori when she said it.

"Ron was the most important person in my life," she said again. That was true, and nothing would ever change that. Ron had meant so much to her that words couldn't even begin to describe it. He had left a permanent hole into her heart, and Kim knew that nothing could ever fill it. "But… as much as I loved him, I don't know if I really loved him as a boyfriend."

"You two were in love. I could see that when we fought Monkey Fist," Yori quickly pointed out. Her voice was like a snake that had struck a prey.

"I know. I guess I loved him like that for a while, but… but it just didn't feel like it was right. I still saw him as my best friend. Not much changed when we started going out," Kim said. She dared to lift her eyes to look at Yori now, and the disbelieving expression on the ninja's face finally broke the redhead's final barriers. She didn't even try to hold back the bitter tears.

"I couldn't love him like he loved me! I was… I was going to tell that to him that day… when we went on that mission. I felt so guilty the whole day. I knew it would break his heart, but I didn't know what else to do." Her words were broken by sobs as she tried to talk, and she sunk back on the chair.

"And that's why he died," she cried.

"What do you mean?" Yori asked.

Kim could barely hear her own voice when she spoke. In her mind she could see nothing but that all too familiar scene from over a year ago and hear Ron's last scream echo in her ears. "I couldn't stop thinking about how to break it to him. It distracted me from the mission. If I had told to him about it before, or if I had loved him more, then he would have never died."

"I would have been able to save him!" she cried and buried her face into her hands as sobs shook her body.

She didn't know how long she cried, but when she finally looked up again, her eyes swollen and with a painful lump in her throat, she saw that Yori was still standing on that same spot. The ninja was staring at her with an expression that Kim couldn't read. Was she angry at her? Did she pity her? Hate her?

"And that's why you should hate me," she said quietly.

Silence.

"I don't hate you," Yori said slowly.

"But you should. If I had told Ron about how I felt earlier, he wouldn't have died. Maybe he would have gone to you. I just stole him from you again," Kim muttered.

Yori said nothing as she walked to the couch and sat down again. She was still wearing her coat, but she made no move to take it off. Kim wondered what she would say, if anything. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Yori had to be feeling.

"Stoppable-san had free will. You didn't steal him from anyone," Yori finally said.

"But if I had been honest with him, he could have been with someone else," Kim pointed out.

"Let me ask you something. When you and Stoppable-san started your relationship, was that what you wanted at the time?" Yori asked.

Kim didn't even have to think back to the Diablo scheme, Eric and how she and Ron had gone to the prom together. It had been the most wonderful day of her life, and it had felt like her eyes had suddenly been opened to something amazing that she should have seen years ago.

"Yes. I loved him," she admitted.

"Then I don't see the problem. You didn't trick him or lie to him," Yori said. "Your feelings only changed a little. That has nothing to do with his death."

Kim sniffed. "But if I had given everything to the mission, I could have saved him," she insisted.

"You don't know that. What happened wasn't your fault. Stoppable-san's death was an accident. There is no-one to blame," Yori said.

"I can't accept that. It's not fair that he died without reason. I have to blame someone!" Kim snapped, but she didn't feel the sort of anger as before. Having told someone about her doubts had exhausted her more than any training session could, and she felt tired and limp. It was tempting to curl into a ball and fall asleep.

"Even if it means wallowing in self-pity and wasting your life?" Yori asked with a lifted brow.

Kim didn't answer.

"How can you be so… so patient and perfect? Aren't you angry at all?" she blurted out.

"Of course I'm upset, but I am not going to let that control my life," Yori replied.

Kim glanced at the other woman from under her hair. "For a while there it felt like you didn't care about Ron at all," she muttered.

Finally there was some real emotion on Yori's face. Kim was again reminded of a malicious snake as Yori asked, "How can you even suggest that? My love for him was real!"

Yori's hurt tone made Kim wince. Maybe this was a cultural difference. From what she had heard, Japanese people were a little more reserved. "I'm sorry. It's just that I'm kind of used to people showing how they feel," she said.

"I see," Yori said, and silence fell between them.

Kim wondered if she should have said something, but she had no idea what to talk about. She had never got to know Yori like Ron had. Even after the truth about Yamanouchi had been revealed to her, there had been many things that were left between Yori and Ron. She realised she knew nothing about Yori as a person, nothing about her interest, hobbies, tastes or family.

The only subject that connected them was Ron, but she didn't want to talk about him anymore. Kim could already feel the beginning of a headache pounding inside her skull, and the mere thought of more stressful talk about Ron made her want to groan. Yet she didn't want Yori to just leave like this. She had told the other woman things that she had barely been able to admit to herself. It would be wrong if they didn't work things out between them.

"So…" she started awkwardly. At least she wasn't crying anymore.

Yori seemed to feel just as uncertain about herself. "I should apologize. It was dishonourable of me to pry those things out of you. I'm sorry," she said. She stood up and gave Kim a modest bow.

"Oh, no. That's not necessary. I'm sorry, too. I wasn't exactly a generous host," Kim said.

"That is understandable. I came unannounced and brought bad memories with me."

"Maybe that was a good thing," Kim said. "Somehow I've been blaming you for not taking Ron away from me, like that would have solved everything and saved his life. I shouldn't have."

Yori nodded. "I think this evening gave us both something to think about. It might be better that we end our conversation here and meet again when we're better prepared," she said.

"Yeah, maybe," Kim agreed. She really had to think things through and decide how she felt about so many things before she could say anything more.

They didn't say anything else to each other. Kim watched how Yori walked out the door and only when it had been shut after her did she dare relax. She collapsed against the chair and let out a sigh.

After a while she walked over to her laptop and shut off the word processor. She didn't even want to think about her essay at the moment.

* * *

Yori kept her mind blank until she was back in the crisp winter night. She hadn't been expecting anything like that to take place when she had gone to meet Kim Possible. To be honest, she hadn't been expecting much of anything. Yori had assumed that Kim would have got over most of her sorrow in over a year, but it was now obvious to her that the other woman had issues much deeper than she had first assumed. That sudden outburst had come as a complete surprise to her, but it explained so much about Kim's behaviour.

Yori couldn't help but feel a guilty stab inside her as she thought back to Kim's accusing words. Stoppable-san had been very dear to her; Yori had never loved anyone else like that. She knew it sounded stupid, considering her young age and that she had only met him on few brief occasions, but she had been certain that they were meant to be. There had been something about him that had attracted her. He had been so different from the students at Yamanouchi, but at the same time he had been just as courageous and had had enormous potential. He had always made her laugh even when they were facing the greatest of dangers.

She blinked to clear her suddenly blurry vision. It was no surprise that Kim still missed him that much. Stoppable-san had always been part of her life, and they had been so close that most people would never achieve anything like that. Yori had seen that bond between them, and it had made her feel excruciating jealousy and loneliness for not having the same. She had hid all of it behind a brave face in order to preserve her honour. It wasn't her place to question Stoppable-san's decisions, even if she disagreed with them.

After hearing what Kim had had to say, how she had stopped loving him in a romantic way after some time, it was very tempting to feel bitter and blame her. Kim could have told him about it earlier. It might not have saved his life, but it would have freed him from his commitment to her and made him available to others. If Yori hadn't known Kim and if she hadn't been understanding enough, she probably would have succumbed to that dark desire and faced Kim with that exact hatred the redhead seemed to be expecting. However, she knew that Kim's reasons for keeping the truth from Stoppable-san hadn't been selfish. She hadn't wanted to hurt someone who was that important to her, and she had probably been afraid that she might lose him as a friend as well.

Yori knew that her calm behaviour probably seemed cold to someone from another culture, but she had had no choice but to push her sorrow aside and move on. She had just graduated from Yamanouchi at the time of Stoppable-san's death and had been in the middle of her first mission as a hired ninja. There could be no distractions in her line of work. Being robbed of the opportunity to properly mourn him had saddened her, but she had also felt pride for her ability to function almost like nothing had happened, even if Sensei had advised her not to close her heart entirely. She had tried to listen to the old man and think about Stoppable-san whenever she had no urgent responsibilities and whenever she felt like the locked up emotions might break out and choke her.

As much as she felt she needed it, this was not a night for such meditation. Yori took one glance at her watch and hurried her steps. She had a mission to prepare for.


	3. Chapter 3

Kim Possible belongs to Disney.

**ONE MOMENT TO DAWN**

**Chapter 3**

Kim slept in the next day. It was Friday, her classes had been cancelled because her professor was sick, and she had the evening shift at the café, so she could turn off the alarm clock with a good conscience when it woke her up at seven in the morning. Even when she finally did get herself up from the bed, she felt groggy and tired like she hadn't slept at all. It took her a moment to realise why her sleep had been so restless, but as soon as she did, she felt like collapsing back against the pillow and throwing the cover over her head.

Had she really said all that to Yori? What on Earth had she been thinking? Yori had loved Ron and suffered heartbreak when he had chosen Kim over her, and now she had only made it worse by admitting that he might have made the wrong choice. Kim could easily recall the jealousy and protectiveness that had set her heart aflame when it had looked like Yori might be an enemy in romance. Those feelings and her happiness and relief when Ron had wanted her and how Yori had accepted it gracefully had been turned into gnawing guilt after Ron's death; she had basically taken him for nothing, hadn't she?

She forced herself to sit up on the bed and place her feet on the floor. Her bedroom had bare floors, but she didn't like the cool surface against the unprotected skin of her feet, so she had placed a fluffy little carpet right next to her bed. It was a stupid thing, but it made the room look like hers.

Kim groaned and leaned her head on her hands for a while, letting her red hair fall over her face and shoulders in a tangled mess. She felt naked and vulnerable now that she had revealed her greatest doubt to someone, and she couldn't make any sense of the thoughts that were spiralling in her head. She had loved Ron so much, but it hadn't been enough. Or had it? All relationships had problems; maybe that had merely been the beginning of the first one between her and Ron. Maybe they would have worked things out if she just had had the courage to talk to him. Maybe they would still be together.

It was her cowardice that was so hard for Kim to swallow. She had been afraid of so many things. What if Ron had started to hate her after hearing what she had to say? What would everyone, her parents and friends, have said if they had found out that the perfect couple wasn't so perfect after all? That it was all Kim's fault because her feelings were not strong enough? That the girl who could do anything couldn't do the most important thing in her life and love her boyfriend like he deserved?

In retrospect, she realised that she had been too uncertain of herself. Kim had thought she had got over that in high school, but it had haunted her well on her way to college. She should have trusted herself more. She should have trusted Ron. He had always been so understanding of her problems and flaws that he would have understood this one as well.

Or maybe that was the exact problem. Kim was too aware of how much she had hurt Ron over the years by ignoring him and pushing him aside for cooler friends and hobbies. She had learnt to know better, and she hadn't been able to stomach the idea of hurting him even more, especially since he would have probably endured it with a smile like she was some sort of goddess to be worshipped. He had deserved better than that.

She couldn't help but think about Yori next. Would she have been a better girlfriend for him? Had she deserved him more than Kim had? Yori had seen the potential in Ron right away while Kim had been too distracted by the high school food chain. Maybe she would have been able to love him like he had deserved.

No. No, no, no. Kim shook her head to get rid of such thoughts. She had told Yori she was over that and didn't blame her for not fighting for Ron. As Yori had said, there was no way of knowing what would have happened if things had progressed differently. If she wanted to keep her sanity, Kim would have to let that part of the past be and concentrate on what was to come.

She got up and walked to the kitchen and started to fill the coffee machine. The familiar routine soothed her nerves somewhat, and by the time she was sitting at the table and listening to the steady hum of the machine, she was already feeling a little better.

As much as she cringed at the idea of someone now knowing her greatest shame and doubt, it was also almost a relief. She didn't have to pretend anything in front of Yori anymore. Apart from Ron's parents, Yori had been the person who had made Kim feel the most uncomfortable because her secret affected her directly. Maybe they could work things out once they had both dealt with the issue on their own.

Yeah, that might actually be nice. Kim took her first sip of the coffee and wondered what friendship with Yori would be like if they ever got that far. It would be interesting to get to know the other woman as more than just an ally and Ron's almost-girlfriend of the past. Maybe if she got comfortable around Yori, she would feel a little better about everything else as well.

Kim wasn't sure what to think of Yori's words from the previous evening. Though she had said that she didn't blame Kim for anything, it hadn't felt very comforting. Yori had seemed distant and it was almost like she had only said those things because she knew it was the only honourable thing to do.

I wonder if she really does hate me, Kim thought. Nobody could be as understanding as Yori had been. She had to feel some resentment for her, but maybe she just wasn't letting any of it show on her face.

So many people had the right to hate her now, but nobody had done it so far. Ron's parents still thought of her as a friend of the family, her friends had all been ready to offer her a shoulder to cry on, and Rufus had nuzzled in her arms when she had last seen him. Kim's mother had told her that the mole rat was now Hana's pet and was so protective of the little ninja toddler that it was adorable. It almost made Kim smile.

Maybe I should be a little more forgiving on myself, she thought. Somehow it felt easier to see it that way now that she had told her secret to someone. She didn't have to pretend to be perfect for anybody's sake, least of all her own.

* * *

Kim's shift at the café started at four. Unlike many other coffee houses, Café de Flore didn't close until late in the evening because many of the customers liked to enjoy the last hours of the day with good company and a cup of macchiato or cappuccino. Kim had come to think of the place as more of an elegant bar than a café, but she knew better than to say that to her employer.

"Here's your double espresso, ma'am," she said to the elderly lady she was serving. "And a piece of chocolate cake for Lady Liberty," she continued and placed a big plate before the white poodle sitting beside her owner.

The lady offered her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Kim. Ever since you started working here, Lady Liberty won't eat any cake unless it's served by you," she said.

"Oh. Uh, thank you," Kim said. Was that a compliment or an accusation? She never knew with the eccentric rich people.

"No, no, don't look so nervous. It only means that she likes you. Isn't that right, Lady?" the woman said, turning to coo at her dog that was in the middle of gulping down the cake and getting her snout messy.

"Such horrible table manners," the lady muttered with a shake of her head.

Kim was glad when the bell above the door let out a tingle and new customers entered the café, providing her with the excuse to leave the lady and her dog alone. She immediately noticed that it was one of the regulars, Mr. Miyagi, a Japanese businessman who had come to lead one of his companies in the States. He was accompanied by his girlfriend, a lovely brunette called Charlotte Charitable.

"Good evening, Mr. Miyagi. Can I lead you to your usual table?" Kim asked.

"Good evening, Ms. Possible. Yes, that would be delightful," he replied and followed to a more secluded table in the corner. Kim didn't like prying, but since she had to walk back and forth serving customers, it had been impossible for her not to notice how close Mr. Miyagi and his companion were. They were almost like teenagers when they thought nobody was looking, and she had often caught a glimpse of him leaning to whisper something into her ear. It always made Ms. Charitable giggle.

Kim sometimes found herself wondering if she and Ron would have been like that when they got older. Probably, but she saw the two of them sitting at Bueno Nacho instead of a fancy little café like this.

"Can I get you anything, sir?" she asked, ready to write down the order. The couple decided to have their usual drinks, so Kim left them alone and went to the back to make them. Once she got there she almost bumped into her co-worker, Dan. He just happened to be one of her new friends from college and had been working at the café for a year and a half already. He had taught her everything she had to know about making coffee and hot chocolate, and she knew she owed her fast learning to him.

"Anything special?" Dan asked as he was pouring some whipped cream on the coffee he was making.

Kim shrugged. "Not really. It's the usual order for Mr. Miyagi and Ms. Charitable," she said. She took out two grand sized glasses and started preparing the drinks.

"They've been here a lot lately," Dan observed. "Do you reckon he'll propose to her soon?"

"You shouldn't talk about customers behind their back," Kim pointed out. That was one thing that had been made clear to her on her very first day at work. There was to be absolutely no gossip or rumours among the employees. The owner wanted the café to be a safe zone and a place where the cream of the community could relax.

"Hey, Mrs. Valdes isn't here today. Nobody will know," Dan said, smirking. He was always smirking at something, it seemed. If Kim hadn't known that he was dating Laura, another new friend of hers, she might have thought he was trying to pick her up.

"I wouldn't take the risk," she replied.

"Oh? And I thought you were all about that," Dan pointed out. Everyone at her new college knew of her world saving adventures, of course. It would have been impossible for her to remain anonymous after the press attention she had got as a teen.

"Not anymore," Kim said. This actually made Dan's smirk fade just for a moment.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," he said quickly. Since everyone knew of her adventures, they naturally knew about Ron. The difference to Middleton was that nobody had known either of them personally, so everyone treated her just like any other girl who had lost someone close to her.

"It's no big. I don't think I'd be taking that many risks anymore anyway even if… you know," Kim said with a forced smile. Even if it made her a little uncomfortable, she actually liked it when people sometimes forgot that she was Kim Possible and that she had lost Ron Stoppable.

"Yeah, right," Dan said. He finished preparing the coffee and went to take it to his customer.

Kim sighed. Her great evening was somewhat ruined now. She had been able to push Ron and the whole issue out of her mind for a while, but Dan's comment had made it come back. Now she would probably play with her thoughts for the rest of her shift, and she really hated feeling miserable at work.

Well, at least some people are happy, she thought as she started taking the coffee to Mr. Miyagi and his companion. They were talking about something in soft voices, and he was resting his hand on hers. The sight made Kim feel a little better.

The couple grew silent when they saw Kim approach. She briefly wondered what they had been talking about. It had to be something romantic; there was a faint blush on Ms. Charitable's cheeks.

"Here you go. Have a nice evening," Kim said.

She turned away and was about to return to the back since no customer was demanding her attention at the moment, but that was when she caught a glimpse through the large window. It was already getting dark and snow was falling, making the dim scene look like it was straight from a fairytale. It wasn't any of this that caught Kim's attention, however. There was a familiar face outside.

"Kim, where are you going?" Dan asked as she rushed past him on her way to the door.

"I'm taking a break. Cover for me for a while, okay?" she said over her shoulder.

Kim stepped into the freezing outside air that made her shiver in her waitress's uniform, but she had no time to think about that. The figure she had seen had noticed her and was just about to dash behind a corner. Kim ran after her and grabbed the person's sleeve before she had time to get away.

"Yori? What are you doing here?" she asked.

Yori looked stunned for a moment, her dark eyes widening slightly as she realised who had caught her staring through the window. She yanked her arm free of Kim's grab and straightened her coat.

"I was just passing by," she said.

"What are you still doing in Layton? I thought you were going to return to Japan," Kim said. As she said the words, she realised that Yori had never actually said anything to that effect. She had just somehow assumed that because Yori didn't exactly have a reason to stay.

"My flight was cancelled, so I had to remain here," Yori replied.

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Kim asked.

Yori lifted a curious brow at her. "Why should I have?" she questioned.

"Well, I… I don't know. I'm the only one you know here. We could use the opportunity to talk some more," Kim said, suddenly feeling uncertain of herself before Yori's stare.

"I thought you said we have nothing to talk about," Yori pointed out. The icy tone of her voice surprised Kim somewhat; Yori sounded very different than the previous night.

"If this is about what I said yesterday --" she started, feeling her own annoyance flare up. If Yori had a bone to pick with her, she should at least come out and say it.

Yori shook her head and smiled a little. "Forgive me. You just startled me, so I wasn't prepared for this. I didn't know you worked here," she said.

"You like it? It's a really nice place. Do you want to come inside? I could buy you a coffee," Kim offered. She didn't know what she and Yori would talk about if the ninja accepted, but she felt that this opportunity to get some more of her thoughts sorted out was too good to be wasted.

"I'm sorry, but I must decline. I am in little bit of a hurry," Yori said.

"Oh. Okay. I guess I should be getting back to work anyway," Kim said. She glanced inside through the window, but nobody seemed to be missing her. Her hair and uniform were now covered in snow, and the wind was starting to chill her bones.

"Maybe we can talk later when the time is better for us. I feel it would do injustice to us both if we parted ways like this," Yori suggested.

"Yeah, how about tomorrow?" Kim asked.

They agreed to meet the next day at another café. Kim didn't feel comfortable talking about such private issues where everyone knew her, and Yori was ready to trust her with the choice of the place.

"What was that about? Who was it?" Dan asked when she returned inside, completely covered in snow and trying to brush it off before it melted and made her look like a drowned rat.

"Just a friend I haven't seen in a while," Kim said.

"Then why didn't you call her in? It would have been fun to get to know her," Dan said.

Since it was not a busy evening, Kim decided to indulge in their own products and got herself a simple cup of steaming coffee. Just one sip was enough to make warmth go through her body as a wave. She shuddered at the lovely sensation.

"She was busy, but I'll introduce you later if she wants me to," she said.

* * *

Kim arrived at their agreed meeting place ten minutes early the next day. It was a cute little café that had decent coffee and amazing cream cake. She didn't go there very often because working at a café made her so full of such places that she preferred spending her free time somewhere else. At the moment it seemed like the place was packed and busy, probably because it was Saturday and the weather was crisp and clear; it was the perfect time to go out and drink something hot.

She wanted to get a table as far away from the other customers as possible, but there wasn't much to choose from. Eventually she settled for a little table that was partly hidden behind a plastic plant. The noisy family with three little children at the next table would probably make sure that nobody could hear what she and Yori said to each other.

She didn't have to wait for long before Yori arrived. The ninja stepped through the door only a few minutes later, nimbly dodging two young men who looked like they were currently too lost in their thoughts to notice what was happening around them.

Kim thought about waving at Yori, but the other woman noticed her right away despite the crowd.

"Hi. I hope this wasn't too much trouble," Kim said when Yori took a seat on the other side of the table.

"Why would it be trouble?" Yori asked.

Kim shrugged. "Well, your flight was cancelled. I hope you didn't stay here for another day just because of me," she said.

"Oh, that. Don't worry. I wasn't planning to leave yet," Yori replied.

Kim now wished that she had ordered something that would have given the excuse to look anywhere but her hands or Yori. She felt like she had nothing to do, and stirring a cup of coffee would have at least made her uneasiness look somewhat normal.

"So…" she started and stole a glance at Yori. The woman looked just like the previous day, which reminded her…

"Why did you try to run away yesterday?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Yori asked innocently.

Her memory couldn't be that bad. Kim frowned as she tried to read Yori's face to see if she really was that dim, but she was disappointed yet again. Yori wouldn't reveal her secrets that easily.

"I mean when I noticed you outside the café. You were trying to get away when I came to take a look," she said.

"Oh," Yori said, as if she had only now recalled the moment. She smiled a little. "I'm sorry. You simply startled me. I'm used to slipping away when someone suddenly comes at me. I can't let myself get caught in my line of work," she explained.

"Right, you're a ninja now. What exactly do you do?" Kim asked. She was glad that they were talking about something else than Ron and his death.

"I can't really talk about that," Yori said, shifting on her seat.

"No, I don't mean that you need to give me any details about your missions. I just want to know what a ninja generally does," Kim corrected. She wondered if she had accidentally offended Yori with her question. If keeping Yamanouchi secret had been so important that they had asked Ron to keep it from her, his best friend, maybe they couldn't talk about their work either.

"It's nothing special. If somebody needs something done and wants to do it in secret, they hire a ninja. That's all," Yori said. She picked up a menu card and started reading through the list of what sort of tea the café offered.

Kim lifted her brows in surprise. "That sounds a little fishy," she said.

"I'm not an assassin or a thief if that's what you mean," Yori said sharply, glancing at her with suddenly cold eyes over the menu.

"No! That's not what I meant. It's just that --"

"I can assure you, every mission I accept is an honourable one," Yori cut her off. "And besides, I believe it was you who bought Monkey Fist's lies and retrieved the statue that granted him his powers."

Kim winced. "Ouch. You got me," was all that she could say. Yori had a point; she had been very trusting in the past and assumed that everyone who asked for her help had their heart in the right place.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," she said, hoping that she hadn't ruined their good start.

"It's alright. We're allowed to make mistakes, and without that specific one Stoppable-san wouldn't have received Mystical Monkey Power, and I would have never met him," Yori said. "Unless you consider it to be a bad thing, of course."

Alright, Yori was certainly walking on thin ice now and trying to make Kim angry. The redhead wondered what the ninja's purpose was. Did she maybe want to lure her into losing her control because responding to that was the only honourable way Yori could blow up at her in return? Or maybe what she had revealed to her before bothered the ninja more than she let on.

"I think it was great that you and Ron got to know each other. I only had a problem with it when I was an immature teenager," she said, trying to keep her voice civil. She didn't want to fall into Yori's trap and have a rerun of what their conversation had been like last time.

Yori put down the menu and turned her eyes on Kim. For a while she only stared at her intently, but finally she let out a small sigh, like she was tired.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't let my mood make me behave like this," she said.

"Is there something wrong?" Kim asked, then felt like slapping herself. Yeah, what a great question. Of course there was something wrong. Yori had just learnt that she might have had a chance with Ron if only Kim had come out with the truth in time.

"I mean, other than what I said last time," she quickly added.

"No, I'm alright," Yori stated. "And that includes the events on Friday. As Sensei says, it is always better to let the truth out."

"I'm not so sure about that. Do you really mean that you don't hate me at all? Not even a little? I was lying to Ron all that time and keeping him from you," Kim said. She didn't want to make an enemy out of Yori, but somehow she felt it would have been better if the other woman had resented her and showed it to her. Yori was too perfect when she took everything in stride and claimed to understand everything. Kim didn't want to be the only one with weaknesses.

Yori was silent for a long time.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't angry, but my anger is not directed at you. I know Stoppable-san wouldn't have come to me had he known the truth. And even if he had, his feelings for me would have never been like those for you. It is my fate that I could never have him, and I have learnt to live with that," she said.

"But why can't you let me see those feelings? You shouldn't bottle up those emotions like that. If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here," Kim said, realising the irony of her words. How many people had said that exact same thing to her and how many times had she refused? Now that she was faced with the fact that she wasn't the only one who truly mourned Ron like that, she could suddenly see how selfish and harmful her past behaviour had been. She felt like calling her mom right away.

"Thank you, but I have my own way to deal with sorrow," Yori said.

Kim didn't know what to say to that, so she followed Yori's earlier example and picked up the menu. She didn't feel like having coffee, but a piece of strawberry cake sounded very tempting. She suddenly felt herself smile when she kept reading the list of baked goods.

"What is so funny?" Yori asked.

Kim shook her head. "Nothing. It's just that they actually have cheese doughnuts here. Ron would have loved those," she said.

"Ah, I see. I remember Stoppable-san was devastated when he learnt that cheese is not part of the menu at Yamanouchi," Yori said, smiling a real happy smile for the first time during their conversation.

"Really? I bet he asked if he could order take-out from Bueno Nacho," Kim guessed.

"He did."

Soon they were talking about Ron and recalling the times when he had made them laugh or when he had stepped up and proven what a hero he was. Though Kim knew the basics of what had happened during Ron's first visit to Yamanouchi, she only knew about the adventure with the Lotus Blade. Ron's antics at the school, how he had dealt with the other students and Sensei was all new to her. She couldn't help but laugh when she imagined the scene in her head; it was all so Ron.

She had much more to tell Yori, and she didn't even know where to start. She told her of how Ron had always been by her side, even when she had pushed him aside for something seemingly better, but she didn't dwell on her own guilt. There were too many happy memories to share, and it felt amazing to talk about them instead of always thinking about her own failings.

"Then that one time he bought me the jacket that had caused the whole thing. And that was long before we started dating," she said.

Yori had her fingers wrapped around the mug of hot tea that she had ordered. A bitter aroma was rising from the drink.

"Stoppable-san was always such a good friend," she observed.

"Yeah. I don't think he ever really hated anybody. He would have given anyone a second chance," Kim said.

"I believe that as well. He was special in many ways," Yori agreed.

Kim dared to snort. "I guess it's no wonder we both fell for him."

Yori offered a smile as a response and was about to say something, but sudden noise caught their attention and made them forget about their conversation. They turned to look at the counter where one of the two young men Kim had noted earlier was now pointing a gun at the poor, trembling cashier. The other man was likewise holding a gun, but it was pointed at the customers at the closest tables.

"Okay, nobody move!" the man warned, but it was a needless command. Most of the people at the café were teenagers and families with children, and they were all too stunned to do anything but stare. Some of the children had no idea what was going on, but they could sense the sudden excitement in the air.

"Fill this with money," the other man said and threw a shoulder bag at the cashier.

The young woman took the bag and stared at it dumbly.

"Well?" the first man asked.

"But… but we don't have this much money. This is not a bank!" the woman dared to object.

"Hey, don't get lippy with me! Put the money in the bag or I'll kill you!" the man shrieked, emphasising his words by shoving his gun closer to the cashier's face. She let out a fearful yelp and clutched at the bag in her hands, shaking so much that Kim thought she might faint at any moment.

She made a few quick notes to herself as she observed the scene. The two men were obviously nervous; the hands holding the guns were shaking almost as much as their victims. Their ragged clothing and the fact that they had decided to rob a café of all places said they were amateurs. This was probably their first time. They had to be desperate, so Kim guessed they needed the money for drugs.

She took one glance at Yori and saw that the ninja had tensed and was staring at the scene just as intensely as she was. Kim couldn't help it; old battle routines and memories were flashing through her mind.

Yori turned to look at her, and the two women nodded simultaneously when their eyes met.

"I'll be the distraction," Yori said. Without another word, she left her seat and started approaching the man who was threatening the customers.

"Hey," she called out, keeping her voice smooth and low and stopping to stand a good distance away from the man, her hands visible before her.

"Get back to your seat!" the man snapped.

Instead of that, Yori sat down on the table next to her. The young couple who was sitting there stared at her in bewilderment, probably worried that this suicidal Japanese woman was going to get them killed as well.

"What are you, insane?" the guy asked her.

"I don't want to fight," Yori said to the man holding the gun. The other man was also staring at her now, having forgotten about the cashier and the money bag.

"Then get back to you seat!" he snapped.

"I only want to talk. You shouldn't be doing this."

While everyone's eyes were glued to this scene, Kim used the chance to make her way towards the counter. It crossed her mind that maybe Yori would have been better at sneaking behind chairs without making a sound, being a ninja and having more recent experience. Well, it was too late to think about that now.

She listened with only half an ear to what was going on at Yori's end. Kim was certain that the woman knew what she was doing, and they both had to concentrate on their parts. If either one of them made a mistake, people could get hurt.

Kim made it right next to the counter without any trouble or anybody noticing her. She was close enough to jump at the closest man and take him down, but she hesitated for a moment because of his gun. She and Ron had never faced nervous small-time crooks with real guns, and seeing such a basic but deadly weapon after numerous laser guns and doomsday devices was almost surreal.

Okay, Kim, you've got to do it, she told herself. Yori wouldn't make it alone, and the nervous twitching on the other man's face meant he could fire the gun any time now, even by accident.

The first man took this moment to remember the money and turned back to face the cashier who was still frozen on the same spot.

"The money, or I'll shoot! Now!"

Deciding that it was now or never, Kim leapt into action from behind a chair and aimed a swift kick at the hand that was holding the gun. She landed gracefully only a fraction of the second after the man had let out a pained and surprised yelp and dropped the gun. Kim wasted no time and kicked it away from everybody's reach.

"What are you doing?" the man she had attacked asked in bewilderment, but Kim had no time to stop and answer.

"Look out!" Yori shouted in warning and Kim jumped behind the counter, taking the stunned cashier with her as they crashed against the floor just as the other man fired his gun at her.

"Are you okay?" Kim asked the woman. When she nodded with wide eyes, Kim continued, "Okay, stay here and don't come out until it's safe." She didn't wait to get a response but rose up to her knees and took a careful peek over the counter, just in time to see Yori deliver a punch to the side of the man who had fired his gun. That was all Kim got to see because the gunshot had made everyone panic and the café was suddenly filled with people screaming and diving under their tables or rushing towards the nearest exit.

She decided to trust that Yori could handle the other man on her own, so she jumped over the counter and landed before the man whose gun she had kicked away. The man had already taken the first steps towards the door, but he froze on his tracks when he saw Kim.

"Going somewhere?" she asked with a smirk.

This paled in comparison to stopping another world domination plan by Drakken or Dementor, but Kim could still feel the familiar rush of adrenalin and excitement. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was suddenly aware of the warmth that had spread everywhere into her body, right up to her fingertips.

"Just who are you?" the man asked in a bewildered tone.

Saying that she was Kim Possible felt corny now that she was older, so Kim chose to reply by leaping into the air and aiming a sharp kick at her opponent's side. The man, much clumsier and probably under the influence of something, had no hopes of dodging her. He still tried to protect himself by pushing her aside, and he actually managed to make her lose her balance for a moment.

Kim grimaced as she landed and felt her ankle sprain a little on the slippery floor. She took the pain with gritted teeth and drew her fist back before her opponent had the chance to use her mistake to his advantage and finished the one-sided battle with a blow to the man's jaw. He fell back and crashed against a table, knocking it down and falling to the floor with it.

Kim whirled around to see Yori stab her fingers against her opponent's neck, making him collapse on the floor as a limp heap.

"What did you do to him?" Kim asked, eying the man in slight worry. Whatever the men had been up to, she didn't want to cause them permanent harm.

"He will be alright in a couple of minutes," Yori explained.

Kim turned to look at the café and the customers who had stopped their panicking and were now staring at the two of them.

"Was anyone hurt?" she called out. It crossed her mind that someone might have caught a bullet in the chaos that had followed her and Yori's attack. Had it really been worth the risk to stop the robbery?

She was about to call out again to make sure that everyone was fine, but that was when the front door was pushed open by three police officers. Apparently someone had had the sense to alert the authorities. Two of the officers went to take care of the fallen criminals while one of them approached Kim and Yori with a stern expression on his face. Kim was more used to seeing gratitude.

"Just who are you two and what did you think you were doing? You risked the lives of everyone in here!" the officer snapped.

"We had to act. These men would have killed someone if we hadn't," Yori pointed out.

"You don't know that. The fact is that civilians shouldn't --"

"Hey, that's Kim Possible!"

"Oh, yeah! I thought she looked familiar!"

Before anyone had time to say anything else, the customers had swarmed them and were shaking Kim's hand, thanking her for saving them and singing their praise for her. Some of them asked where she had been and why she had disappeared from the media while others were just grateful for that she had been there to defeat the robbers.

Even the police officer seemed more impressed now. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ms. Possible. I didn't recognise you," he said.

"It's no big," Kim said. "You were right. We should have waited for you to come and deal with the sitch."

"In normal circumstances I would have to take you in for at least filing a report, but I think we can let it go this time. Nobody was hurt," the officer said.

"Okay, sure," Kim said, feeling a little uncomfortable all of a sudden. It didn't feel right that she would get off the hook just because of her reputation. She turned to Yori to ask her what she wanted to do, but she noticed that the ninja had disappeared.

"Yori?" she called out, but she could hear no reply from under the voices of he crowd. She pushed her way past the people and stopped to take a look outside. At first she thought she had lost the other woman, but then she saw her standing next to a phone box. Somehow she managed to look like she was disappearing into the shadows even though it was the middle of the day.

Kim went back inside to get her coat and then hurried to Yori.

"What's up with skipping the scene like that?" she asked.

Yori actually looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, but you seemed to be handling the situation. It is better if my presence in this town is not widely known," she said.

Kim didn't need to hear anything more to understand. Her brows shot up on her forehead when she asked, "You're on a mission here? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why should I have? My mission does not concern you," Yori replied.

"But --"

"It's better for both of us if you don't ask anything, Kim Possible."

Kim sighed. "Can't you at least just call me Kim?" she asked.

"Very well."

Kim decided to drop the subject about Yori's mission. She was curious, but she knew it was none of her business, especially since she had made the firm decision never to get involved with those matters again now that Ron wasn't there to be by her side.

"That was some badical fighting back there," she said.

"It was hardly a battle. Those men were not worthy opponents," Yori said.

"Yeah, but – ow!" Kim let out a surprised yelp when she twisted her ankle in a way that made a wave of sharp pain flash through her foot. She winced and lifted her foot from the ground in an attempt to make the hurt go away.

"Are you alright?" Yori asked.

"Yeah. I just twisted it a little when I slipped," Kim replied. She was about to step on her foot again to test it, but the strange frown on Yori's face made her stop.

"What?" she asked.

"The injury is irrelevant. What surprises me is that you gained it in the first place. Only an amateur would have slipped like that. I have grown to expect much better from you," Yori said.

"I haven't fought anyone since Ron's death. I don't do missions anymore, okay?" Kim asked in irritation. An amateur? She was Kim Possible! Even if she was no long active in the crime fighting business, she didn't deserve to be talked down like that!

"What about training?"

"Training? Why should I train anymore?"

Yori looked at her with a puzzled expression on her face. "But you're a warrior at heart. Are you telling me you've forgotten about that?" she questioned.

"I'm no longer interested. Ron's death was the end of the story," Kim insisted.

"Then why did you take on those men?" Yori asked.

Kim stopped to stare at the ninja with a bewildered look. "Because they might have hurt someone! I couldn't just sit back and watch!" she snapped.

"That's exactly why you should make sure your skills are as polished as possible. If the men had been a more serious threat, someone might have been hurt because you were rusty," Yori said.

Kim was about to throw back an angry retort, but she stopped herself just in time before she said something stupid. Yes, Yori had a point. She wasn't planning to get into any dangerous situations, but if they crept up on her like that, she would have to be prepared. If those two men had been even a little more professional, things might have ended very differently.

It was sometimes just so infuriating to admit that she could be wrong.

"Training would be more difficult now. I used to practice with Ron, and now I don't even have the cheer squad to keep me moving," she said.

"There are no martial arts clubs here?" Yori asked.

Kim shrugged. "I don't know. I never looked them up."

Yori bit her lip and looked like she was thinking about something really hard. Her dark eyes kept staring at Kim and gave her the feeling that Yori was evaluating something in her, which wasn't a very comfortable feeling.

"Then maybe we could train together," Yori finally suggested.

"Us?" Kim asked in surprise.

"I could use the opportunity as well. I have not fought a worthy opponent since I left Japan," Yori explained.

"But… I don't know," Kim said. She couldn't imagine picking up kung fu again just like that. It would be too much like training for missions, and she wasn't sure she wanted to think too much back to those times. Saving the world was something she and Ron had done together, and it felt wrong to even think about doing the same without him.

"I won't ask again if you feel you're not ready," Yori said.

"Not ready?" Kim asked. That implied that Yori expected her to get back at some point, even if she didn't do it now. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think helping others is something you can just forget. I only hope you're still prepared for that when the time comes," Yori said.

"You think I'm not ready now?" Kim asked.

"Judging by your mistake back there, I'd say you need a little practice."

Yori was smiling now, and Kim could recognise a challenge when she saw one. Just like countless times before, she couldn't resist the chance to prove that she could live up to everyone's expectations and more and be the best. She wouldn't have to make kung fu part of her life again, but at least she would have to show Yori that she hadn't forgotten her skills after Ron's death.

"Okay then. You name the time and place, Yori, because you're on."


	4. Chapter 4

Kim Possible and all related characters etc. belong to Disney.

Sorry about how long it took me to update. I've hit a dry season and am having difficulties with sitting down and writing, even though I have tons of ideas.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and messaged me to ask about this story.

**ONE MOMENT TO DAWN**

**Chapter 4**

Yori stopped to take a look around her as she landed silently on the small balcony. It was her second night at that same house, and she hoped that she wouldn't have to leave in failure two times in a row. She remained still for some time and let her heartbeat calm down to normal after her daring climb over the roofs. As she waited, she tried to listen to any sounds that could mean that someone had noticed her or that there were guards she needed to watch out for.

Everything was silent. She hadn't met any trouble the previous night, so she supposed that there were no problems ahead. Her prey probably didn't think he would run into any trouble so far away from home. Yori felt like shaking her had at that. It was foolish to let one's guard down and become victim of such a false sense of security, especially if one had dishonourable secrets. Well, at least it made her job a little easier.

Once she felt that her body had returned to normal, she untied the rope on her chest and put down the bag she had been carrying on her back. It was filled with snow that she would later use to cover her tracks. Next she reached under her gi and pulled out the small camera that was hanging around her neck. She made sure it was ready to take a picture as soon as she saw what she had been sent to look for and glanced at the window at the balcony.

It looked like everything was still and silent inside. There was no light, so she couldn't see very well with her bare eyes. Yori pressed her ear against the window and listened, but she had been right. No sound came from the large bedroom that was on the other side of the glass. Since that was the case, there was no need for her to stay for much longer.

He may be trickier than I thought, she mused to herself. Or maybe he was innocent. Her employer had said that he only had a hunch and that it was Yori's job to find the evidence that supported it. She certainly wished he was spotless because that would let the whole family keep their honour and go on with their lives, never knowing what suspicions their grandfather had had.

She took one more look through the window, satisfied that the occupant was sound asleep in his bed and alone. Though she had only been told to record suspicious activity, she decided to take a photo of the man in any case. If nothing dishonourable happened, she could at least show her employer that she had been looking for something.

Once she was done, she put the camera away and covered her tracks so that it looked like nobody had ever touched the snow on the balcony or the roof. With agile leaps that were almost silent in then night, Yori returned the way she had come to and disappeared into the darkness. She made it back to her hotel unnoticed and slipped inside through her window. Nobody would ever know she had been gone.

Sighing to herself, she pulled off her black mask that she had been wearing to protect her face against the cold. Though this was a very simple mission in theory, it had already presented her with problems she had been unable to foresee. Yori hadn't expected running into Kim Possible, and now she wasn't sure how she was supposed to deal with the latest development of events.

She had known that Kim was no longer living with her parents, but she had been surprised when the Stoppables had mentioned that she now lived in Layton. Yori strongly believed in fate, so she didn't think that it was a coincidence that she and Kim would meet again without any warning. She hadn't been very pleased to see the woman again. Despite that they had become something resembling friends after everything they had experienced together over the years, Yori had felt some level of uneasiness when she had knocked on Kim's door that night.

What Kim had said on the day of Ron's funeral had upset her more than she could admit to anyone. It had taken her a long time to come to terms with that Stoppable-san could never be hers. At first she had resented Kim for having something she wanted so badly. Kim had been very protective of her boyfriend. Yori was certain that if she had tried to make any moves on him, Kim would have struck back with full force. She felt both annoyed and insulted at that Kim had suggested she should have fought for Stoppable-san's affections, as if it was partly her fault that he had chosen his best friend and died. She had done the right thing.

After Kim's sudden outburst, she hadn't known what to think. She had told Kim everything was alright, but it was not that simple in her mind. She knew it was wrong of her, especially after she had told Kim that everything was fine between them, but she couldn't help but feel some anger at that Kim hadn't told Stoppable-san how she really felt. It wasn't for her own sake because she knew he wouldn't have loved her in any case, but it had been the act of a coward to keep the truth from Stoppable-san. A warrior like Kim should have been more honourable.

Yori took off the rest of her clothes and decided to have a shower. It always made her feel more relaxed, and she felt that she had to gather her thoughts before facing Kim in training the next day. That she had suggested that they'd fight each other had surprised even her. It had simply slipped out of her mouth; it had felt so natural of an idea. Now that she had had time to reconsider, she no longer thought it was such a good plan after all.

They both had unresolved issues about Stoppable-san's death. Yori had full confidence in her ability to keep hers under control, but she wasn't so sure about Kim. The simple mistake she had made during the café incident told her that she was not quite the skilled warrior she had once been. She was now emotionally unstable, and it could be that an intense battle between the two of them would let loose emotions and resentment that she was holding back. Yori didn't want to hurt Kim, but she had a feeling that it might come down to that.

It would be so much simpler if you weren't here, she thought. She wanted to keep Kim out of her mission. It concerned her in no way and she didn't have her employer's permission to talk about it to anyone, but things had become complicated. Why was it that she had to work at that particular café of all places?

Yori glanced at the clock. It was about an hour past midnight. She would have to get to bed if she wanted to run some errands in the morning and prepare herself for the training session with Kim.

* * *

The next morning dawned crisp and clear. There was still a hint of reddish orange in the sky when Yori stepped out of the hotel. She was glad for her tick green coat for it had got colder during the night and she was planning to walk.

She didn't run into many people, even thought it was Tuesday morning. Almost everyone had decided to favour buses or their own cars in a temperature like this. It wasn't too much for Yori. She had got used to the cold while studying at Yamanouchi. The school had got very cold in winter, especially when wind had brought more snow into the valley. This morning felt almost soothing because it made her thoughts drift back to her schooldays.

Yori had loved it in Yamanouchi. She had been the top of her class; she had had great friends, and Sensei had placed great trust in her. She sometimes thought of the old master as a grandfather instead of her teacher, but she had tried to keep some distance between them. It wouldn't do to get unprofessional, especially since she didn't want to make it look like she was a teacher's pet. She had worked hard for everything she had achieved.

Graduation had been full of mixed emotions for her. She had been immensely proud of herself and had looked forward to her life as a real ninja, but at the same time she had felt sad for leaving Yamanouchi. She had asked Sensei if she could stay and become a teacher at the school, but he had told her that she should first go and try her wings outside. If she still wanted to come back after some time, Yamanouchi would offer her a home.

Yori could see the wisdom in that, and she did enjoy her life. She had a little apartment in Kyoto and she had completed several missions successfully. They hadn't been anything grand like fighting evil magical villains, but she was content with starting small and learning the tricks of the trade. She was building herself quite a reputation because Yamanouchi graduates were sought after, especially ones who had Sensei's complete trust like her.

Despite that she was leading a good life, she felt that she wasn't really happy. She missed the security that Yamanouchi had offered. She missed the sense of being part of something and having people she could trust with her life around her. She was on her on now, and she couldn't afford to rely on anyone else anymore. Her parents had died when she had just started at Yamanouchi, and she had no siblings. She had never felt very close with her other relatives.

This was one reason why it had taken her almost a year to fully accept that Stoppable-san had chosen Kim. When she had been with him, she had felt like she had found someone she could trust and who would always be there for her. She was certain that he would have, but only as a friend. It had probably been selfish of her to desire more.

She was brought back from her thoughts when she arrived at her destination. She was about to reach out and open the door, but then she saw the elaborate notice on it. The place wouldn't open in two more hours.

I should have noticed that when I was here earlier, she scolded herself. What kind of ninja was she if she didn't pay attention to such important details?

She didn't want to return to the hotel, but standing there on the sidewalk and waiting for the café to open didn't appeal to her either. She was just about to go and look if she couldn't find some store that was already open, but then she noticed someone move inside the café.

Yori knocked on the door to get the man's attention. He came to the door, a puzzled frown on his face.

"I'm sorry, but we aren't open yet," he said. The little sign on his chest said that his name was Daniel.

"I know. I was only wondering if Kim Possible is here," Yori said.

"Kim?" Dan asked.

"Yes, I'm a friend. I thought I would drop by and exchange a few words with her," Yori replied.

Dan looked at her thoughtfully. Yori knew that her request probably seemed odd. If she had something to say to Kim, she could have always called her or gone to her home, for as a friend she was supposed to know both her number and address.

"No, she's not working today," Dan finally said.

"Oh," Yori said, frowning in suitable disappointment. "Will she be here tomorrow?"

"Kim isn't working until Thursday, so sorry. You should ask her about her shifts," Dan replied.

Yori shrugged. "I just thought I'd drop by since I was walking by here anyway," she said. "Am I bothering you?"

Dan quickly shook his head. "No, not at all. Don't worry," he said.

"Daniel, what are you doing over there? Are you already done cleaning the tables?" came a shrill voice from somewhere inside the café. It sounded like a rusty meat grinder.

"I'm almost finished, ma'am!" Dan yelled back.

He turned back to Yori with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry; I have to get back to work so that we can open in time," he said.

"Of course. I'm sorry I bothered you," Yori said.

Now that this task was done, she could return to the hotel. She didn't like it that she would have to operate where Kim was working, but at least she now knew when the redhead wouldn't be present. Getting anyone she knew involved with her work would have made it too complicated for everyone.

Once she was back in her hotel room, she turned on her laptop and started writing a quick note to her employer in order to keep him updated on the current status of the mission. She told him that so far she had seen nothing suspicious and included that one photo she had taken as an attachment. She also made a remark about that she might have to dig deeper if she wanted to have any kind of results.

Finished with the message, Yori decided to turn on the TV and see if there was anything intelligent on that early. Even a ninja could relax every now and then.

* * *

Kim threw her shoulder bag on the couch and rubbed her fingers together. This was the coldest winter she could recall, and the mittens simply weren't enough to protect her hands from the biting temperature. She wondered if it was that cold in Middleton.

She decided to make herself a cup of coffee that would warm her up quickly. Her bus had been a little late, so she had a little less time before going to train with Yori that she would have liked. She was still surprised about the other woman's suggestion, and she would have been lying if she hadn't admitted she wasn't at all worried.

Kim didn't even know what she was worried about, even though she had spent half of her classes thinking about it. Even though she hadn't been an active fighter after Ron's death, she knew she still packed a punch and had nothing to be ashamed of before Yori. She was a little rusty, but Yori would never hurt her beyond the usual bruises that one might get during training. She was a friend, or at least acted like a friend, so there wasn't anything malicious behind her offer, right?

She sighed as she sat down on her couch. Maybe this feeling was a leftover from the time when she had been suspicious of Yori trying to make moves on Ron? It was hard to trust the other woman when it was so obvious that she was holding back her feelings and keeping secrets from her.

If Yori really wanted to make up, then she should have told her how she really felt. Kim couldn't be satisfied with her remarks about honour and what was right. It just… humans didn't work like that.

The sound of her cell phone woke her up from her thoughts. For just a moment she was reminded of the Kimmunicator.

"Hi, mom," she said after she saw that it was her mother's number.

"Kimmie, turn on the TV!" her mother said.

"Is something wrong?" Kim asked as she fumbled for the remote. Her mother rarely sounded this urgent.

"No, no. Just see it for yourself," he mother replied. Now Kim could also sense excitement and happiness in her tone. She was just about to ask her just what had happened, but that was when she turned on the TV and saw what was on the screen.

To her utter surprise, she found herself looking at the face of her cousin, Joss. She was being interviewed for something together with a brown-haired girl whom Kim didn't recognise. In the background she could see the wreckage of something that might have been some sort of tank at some point of its existence.

"So, Miss Possible, how did you stumble upon this fiendish plot?" the reporter asked.

"Oh, I was just going to grab lunch with my friend Annabel when we saw that huge thing in the sky. When we realised what was going on, we knew we had to do something," Joss replied.

"Mom, what's this?" Kim asked, frowning at the screen. Flying tanks? That sounded a little too much like her old life.

As if on cue, the next thing she saw on the screen was Professor Dementor who was being led away by two policemen. He was handcuffed and his clothes were still smoking from an obvious explosion, but that didn't stop him from turning to glare at Joss and her friend as he passed.

"Next time, Fräulein Possible, I vill make sure zat --" he started, but he was cut off when one of the policemen gave him a shove and forced him to hurry up.

"Mom?" Kim asked again.

"You know how Slim decided to go to that international robotics convention in Germany. He took Joss and her friend with him to give them some excitement. It turns out that the Dementor guy tried to steal the prize-winning new AI model, but Joss and Annabel stopped him," he mother explained.

Kim had no words. She continued staring dumbly at the TV screen.

"So, does this mean that you will follow in your famous cousin's footsteps and become a crime fighter?" the reporter asked.

"I don't know. I have a lot to do back at home, but if dad lets me, I'll --"

"No!" Kim snapped, as if she could have somehow affected the events on the screen.

"Kim?" her mother asked.

"You can't let Joss do that! You have to tell Uncle Slim to keep her at home!" Kim said, not really even aware that she was yelling.

"What are you talking about? She's not going to start going on regular missions. She has far too much work at the farm," her mother said. Just as Kim was about to relax, she continued, "And even if she were, what would it matter? She's a smart girl."

"But she could be hurt. She has no experience. Anything could happen on those missions," Kim insisted.

"You were younger when you started," her mother reminded her.

"Yeah, but…" Kim said, feeling an uneasy knot form in her stomach. She didn't want to even think about Joss going on missions and battling evil scientists or criminal masterminds. She just wouldn't be able to handle it. She was too young. She was too weak. She was too inexperienced. She was her cousin and Kim didn't want her to get hurt. She didn't want her to die like Ron.

"Kim, I know what you must be thinking," Anne said.

"Please, don't let her do that," Kim countered.

"It's not for you or me to decide. You'll have to talk with Joss," her mother pointed out.

Kim sighed. "I know, but I don't want her to get hurt. She doesn't know what she's getting into," she said.

"I think she has a pretty good idea after helping you defeat Drakken and now taking on Dementor. And she does know about Ron. Joss knows the risks," her mother said.

"Then why doesn't she stay at home? Why would she even consider this?" Kim asked. She had thought that Joss had got over her naïve and idolized phase of seeing crime fighting as something cool and awesome. That incident on the farm should have opened her eyes to that.

Her mother's voice was oddly gentle as she said, "Because she wants to help people. Like you."

Kim said nothing. It was almost identical to what she had said to Yori after that fight at the café.

"But enough about Joss. I'm sure this matter will sort itself out. Is everything alright over there?" her mother asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sometimes it feels like our professors want to bury us in work, but I can handle it," Kim replied.

"What about your job? Are you sure you're up to it? Your father and I can help you if you need to quit," her mother said with a concerned edge in her tone.

"Mom, I said I can handle it," Kim insisted.

"Well, alright, but you mustn't forget that we're there for you. You shouldn't be too proud to ask for help," Anne said.

"I know. I know." Kim paused. "Listen, I've got to go. I'm meeting a friend," she said.

"Really?" Her mother sounded pleasantly surprised and happy. "I hope you have fun!"

"Thanks. Bye, mom," Kim said. She put down her cell phone. The news report had moved on to talk about something else, so she turned off the TV. For a while she continued sitting there, staring at the black screen. It was odd how crime fighting had suddenly decided to invade her life again. First the café scene and Yori, then Joss and her sudden heroics. If it hadn't hit so close to home, Kim might have chuckled at how every Possible seemed to have it in them to step up and help those in need.

She felt utterly helpless when she thought about Joss. She loved her cousin, and the mere thought of her going out into danger filled her with dread. Kim had always been aware of the dangers that mission work came with, but she hadn't cared about that. To her the thrill of danger and pulling off stunts that nobody else could manage had been part of the reason why she had kept going on missions. Helping people had been her main motive, yes, but she would have been lying if she had said the excitement hadn't also lured her in.

Now that she had lost someone so important to her because of the danger she had once loved, she couldn't stand the idea of anyone else risking their life like that. Somehow she'd have to talk Joss out of this.

Her fingers were itching to pick up the phone again and call her cousin right away, but that would have to wait. She would be late for her training with Yori if she wasted any more time. Knowing the Japanese ninja, she wouldn't be happy if they couldn't start on schedule. Kim had to crack a small smile at that. In that regard they were very similar. She also hated being late because it made her look like she was slacking off.

She had a quick shower, picked up the bag she had already filled with everything she'd need and headed for the door.

* * *

Yori had given her an address that looked like it was in an unfamiliar part of Layton. Kim was expecting some sort of fitness centre, so she was a little surprised when she found herself standing before a grey block of a building that was so blank that it was impossible to tell exactly what was inside. There was a hairdresser's right next to it and a small park on the other side.

This looks more like an office, Kim thought as she made sure that she had the right building. Well, she could always turn back if Yori wasn't here. She adjusted the shoulder bag and opened the door.

She was greeted with a corridor that had doors on both sides. Silence hung in the air, making her footsteps sound hollow and unnaturally loud in her ears. Each door had a little window on it, so Kim peered in through the first one to see what was on the other side. It looked like a little office room. Maybe this was the wrong building.

Kim decided to see if she could find anyone who could tell her where she was supposed to go. If not, then she would just have to return home and wait for Yori to send word. She pursed her lips in irritation at this unexpected problem as she peered through another window. Nothing interesting.

Okay, then. She was going home. She turned around and made it half-way to the front door, but she stopped when she heard the sound of a door opening.

"Kim?" she heard Yori ask. Kim couldn't say why, but it felt odd to hear the ninja call her by her first name only. It sounded so… informal coming from her.

She turned around. "I thought I had the wrong address. What is this place?" she asked as she made her way to Yori.

The other woman was already dressed for the training. She wasn't wearing her usual black gi but rather a white martial arts uniform. It only added to the informal impression Kim was getting from her. When Yori wore black, she was on duty.

"It's an old office complex. Someone I know purchased it after the company was ruined and turned it into something more productive," Yori replied.

"Don't tell me this is a secret dojo owned by Yamanouchi. Here in Layton? That would be quite a convenient coincidence," Kim said.

"No, it's not," Yori said as she led Kim through one of the doors.

"Then who is this friend of yours?" Kim asked. She stopped to observe the room she had just entered. It looked like a normal dojo with a tatami floor. There were no windows, but she suspected they had been covered up. Ninjas liked their secrecy.

"That doesn't matter. I assure you, there is nothing malicious behind this. We can use this building as much as we like," Yori said.

Kim couldn't shake her suspicions off that easily. "It's only for our use?" she asked.

Yori shook her head. "No. Several judo and kung fu clubs use it as well. I merely pulled some strings so that we could be here alone today," she said.

"Okay," Kim said. "I'll just go and get changed."

She found her way to the locker room and swiftly put on a fitting shirt and pants. She saw a martial arts uniform identical to Yori's hanging on one of the lockers, assumed it was meant for her and slipped into it. It felt a little too loose for her liking.

My mission clothes are better suited for fast combat, she pondered before she could help it. She had to shake her head. Focus, Kim. That was all in the past. She didn't have to think about it anymore.

She tried to empty her head from distractions as she returned to the training room and took her place on the tatami before Yori.

"I saw your cousin on television today. I offer my congratulations," Yori said.

For some reason, Kim found it odd that Yori watched TV. It didn't really fit into the mystical and traditional aura around the ninja.

"I'm not exactly happy about it," she said.

A slight frown appeared on Yori's face. "Why not? She acted very honourably and with great courage," she said.

"She got herself and her friend into danger. I don't want to see her hurt," Kim replied.

"But --"

"Can't we just fight? I thought that's why we're here," Kim cut Yori off. This was not what she wanted to talk about. Sooner or later it would become about Ron, and she didn't feel like talking about him at the moment.

Yori gave her a small bow. "As you wish."

It crossed Kim's mind that they hadn't agreed what form of martial arts they were going to practice, but she had no time to mention that when Yori exploded into motion and attempted to strike her off her feet with one swift kick aimed at her knees. Kim managed to jump aside just in time, stumbling a little as she struggled to get back to balance and get over her surprise.

"A shock start, huh?" she asked.

"There will be no warnings in real combat," Yori pointed out.

"I'm not going to do this for real ever again," Kim said. She was expecting Yori to respond to it, but instead the other woman merely continued the battle, delivering blows that Kim found hard to dodge. It was a while since she had last fought Yori right before the Yono incident at Yamanouchi. The ninja had clearly grown faster and stronger.

I guess I'm too used to Shego, she thought. The green woman had never had any trouble bantering while they fought. It had almost been like another competition inside their battle.

A strike from Yori caught her painfully in her side, forcing her to snap out of it. Kim frowned at her mistake; it wasn't like her to let anyone get the better of her. She would have to stop thinking about unrelated topics.

She leapt to her side and ducked just in time to avoid another blow from her opponent. Kim was on the defensive, much like when she had fought Shego in the past. Yori was fighting fast and her attacks were well coordinated and always aimed where they would do the most damage. She was efficient and didn't waste her energy on making her style appear flashy or impressive.

Another kick was aimed at her side, but Kim blocked it just in time with her hands and threw Yori off balance just for a fracture of a second. She wasted no time at using the opening and advanced at the other woman, kicking her off her feet.

Yori softened her fall with her left arm and rolled to the side, barely avoiding Kim's next blow. She jumped back on her feet so fast that for a while Kim thought she had only imagined her brief advantage. She felt the familiar thirst for victory burn inside her, but she didn't know why it was so important for her to appear just as good, if not better, as Yori.

I may be rusty, but I'm not going soft, she thought. She still knew sixteen kinds of kung fu and she was in great shape. Just because she hadn't been in active combat for a while didn't mean that she wasn't still good.

After numerous battles with Shego, Kim was used to being on the defence and aiming to block most of the blows. With Yori it was different. The ninja did return most of her attacks with equal force, but the longer the battle went on, the more aggressive Kim realised she was getting. It was like there was a desperate need inside her to win and show that she could do this, but she didn't know who she was trying to impress and why.

Yori adjusted her style to Kim's growing offence and started merely blocking her attacks, only occasionally fighting back. She retreated before Kim's blows, moving so fast and nimbly that to an outsider the scenario might have looked like they had planned and practiced their fight beforehand. It was as if Yori was dancing, and Kim found herself growing increasingly annoyed at that she couldn't get an edge.

I can't let her beat me, she thought frantically.

Yori couldn't be better than her. The Japanese woman had already shown that she could take Ron's death with dignity and not let it change her life at all. She had been able to remain as she was; she wasn't drifting without course like Kim. She had no weaknesses. Even when they had become sort of friends through Ron, Kim had been annoyed by that knowing smile that had often graced Yori's face. It had been obvious to her that Yori didn't think Ron had made the right choice about who he was dating, but instead of confronting them about it, Yori had hid behind selflessness and understanding that let her think that she was better than them. Kim would never forget the look in Yori's eyes when Ron had told her that he was now dating his best friend. The acceptance and friendship had been genuine, but at the same time she was certain that Yori had taken some amount of masochistic pleasure in that she could play the role of the calm and reasonable one while Kim was the jealous and paranoid girlfriend.

That was why Yori had always rubbed her the wrong way. She simply never let anyone know how she really felt and what she really thought. Dealing with people like that made Kim want to grab their shoulders and shake the truth out of them.

Yori made a sudden stumble, and Kim immediately dove in to take advantage of the moment. She struck out with her foot in an attempt to make Yori fall again. The ninja was unable to find her balance again and fumbled with her hands to make her landing softer. Even before she touched the ground, Kim dove in and grabbed a hold of the front of Yori's gi. She was planning to pin her to the ground and end their fight there.

Yori's knee shot up without warning and she brought up her hands just as her back touched the tatami. She caught Kim from the back and used the power of Kim's attack to shove the redhead over her. Kim needed to blink just once before she realised that she had been tricked and she tried to adjust her landing so that she'd get back up fast enough to face her opponent again. She wasn't quite quick enough, and she held back a groan as she fell painfully on her side.

She didn't hear Yori get up, but she was sure she could sense the ninja standing behind her. Kim whirled around so that she was lying on her stomach and jumped up on her feet so that she was facing Yori again.

No way am I going to let you win, she thought as she brought her hands back up in a defensive pose.

Kim didn't wait for Yori to make her next move and leapt at her, aiming a sharp chop at the ninja's side. Yori sidestepped and blocked Kim's attack with her hands. It sent a wave of warm pain through the redhead's arm, but this only encouraged her further. She was certain that Yori was going to use the opening to strike back with a blow of her own, so she readied herself for dodging it. Yori's strongest side was her speed, and Kim wasn't about to fall prey to that.

To her surprise Yori didn't try to attack. Kim felt confused about that for a fracture of a second but then she decided not to worry about it. Maybe the other woman was tired, or maybe she wasn't as good as she had first seemed. Kim changed her defence into offence and brought up her foot in a sharp kick. She wasn't surprised that Yori blocked it again, but this time she didn't waste time waiting if the ninja was going to attack her in return or not.

Their battle continued on in the same spirit; Kim was continuously on the offence while Yori kept dodging the attacks. At first Kim enjoyed this; it felt great to just hit and spend her energy, especially since she knew that she'd never be able to hurt Yori too bad. After a while, however, she started to question what the point of the whole thing was.

When Yori merely blocked another one of her kicks, Kim finally took a step back.

"You aren't even trying, are you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't fighting back. Is this some kind of sly ninja strategy of yours?" Kim kept her hands raised before her body in case they'd leap back into action. Her chest went up and down in rhythm to her breathing and she felt sweat trickle down her forehead. Her hair probably looked like a mess. Yet she actually felt really good. An energetic warmth had spread all over her body and she felt more relaxed than in a long time.

"I thought it would be wiser for me to follow this approach in this situation," Yori replied. Kim was glad to note that the Japanese woman looked just as strained as she did.

"What situation?" she asked.

Yori hesitated for a while. "I felt that your style is a little different now. You were angrier than before," she said.

"So, you think I can't control myself?" Kim asked. Irritation mixed into her warm feeling of satisfaction. She should have known that Yori would again act like she knew everything. Maybe she had been psychoanalysing her all the way through their fight.

When Yori didn't reply right away, Kim continued, "Because if that's what you think, you're wrong. I'm in perfect control of everything."

Yori frowned like she wanted to argue about that, but she changed her mind and nodded. "Then maybe it was my mistake," she said.

"I don't like it when my friends hold back. Is this because of my ankle? If you don't think I'm good enough for this, just say so and I'll prove you wrong," Kim said. Maybe Yori had gone easy on her because she had sprained her ankle at the café? It didn't hurt anymore and hadn't bothered her at all during their fight, but it made sense that her opponent could be careful around her because of it.

It's probably the honourable thing to do, Kim thought with a mental roll of her eyes.

"It's not that. I don't go easy on anyone because of their injuries. I was expecting you to overcome any pain," Yori replied. The sash on her gi had come a little loose during their battle so she tied it again and adjusted her outfit.

"Then why did you do it? I know you weren't fighting back with all you've got," Kim said. She couldn't decide whether to feel angry or not. It bothered her that Yori might think she had gone soft and lost her edge after Ron's death. Even if it was partly true, she didn't want to admit it to the woman whom she had seen as her rival in the past.

"I was in the beginning, but then I thought I noticed the change in you and decided to observe your style a little more. A good warrior should always take the time to study their opponent. I'm sorry if this offended you," Yori said.

"You could have told me," Kim pointed out, feeling a little uncomfortable before Yori's eyes. What conclusions had she drawn from their battle?

"It wouldn't have been the same."

"Hey, I don't like to be spied on like this. I want my friends to be honest with me," Kim said. Oh, that applied to so many things about Yori.

Yori frowned. "I haven't lied to you about anything," she said.

"Maybe not, but you aren't exactly telling me the truth either," Kim countered.

"About what?"

Kim said nothing. She didn't want to talk about Ron and start a new argument after they had got along so well earlier. It wasn't Yori's fault if something about her just ticked her off this much. She couldn't ask about the ninja's mission either because it wasn't her business – and really, she didn't want to get involved.

"Forget it," she said with a sigh. "I guess I'm still upset about Joss."

"I understand that you're worried, but if this is what she wants to do, she needs your support," Yori said.

Kim shot a dark glare at her. "She needs someone to tell her what a mistake she's making," she grumbled. Yori sounded too much like her mom. She needed a friend who'd support her, not insist that she was wrong about things that were important to her.

"I think we've done enough fighting today," Yori decided, but Kim wasn't sure if she meant their battle or the direction their conversation was taking. She agreed about the latter, but she didn't feel she had got enough of the former. Neither had won and she felt that she hadn't really done her best against her opponent. She hated leaving things half-finished.

"Yeah, okay. Thanks for being my opponent," she said.

"No, thank you. It did good to me to have some exercise. I haven't had a decent opponent since I left Yamanouchi," Yori replied.

"Really? Your missions haven't been filled with action?" Kim asked. When Yori frowned at her question, she quickly continued, "I don't mean to pry. I'm just curious."

"My work has had more to do with stealth," Yori said.

"Fine. I won't ask anything else." Kim wondered what else they could talk about. She didn't think Yori would be interested in going window shopping in Club Banana or talking about the latest top movies. Or maybe she would. She didn't really know anything about Yori apart from that she was a ninja.

"Do you want to go and grab something to eat?" she asked as they were walking to the dressing room for a quick shower and change of clothes. Kim's cooking had improved a little now that she had to make her own meals, but it was not something that she enjoyed doing. She liked to eat outside whenever she could afford it.

Yori didn't answer right away. Kim could sense her hesitation, but she wasn't sure about the reason.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"No, nothing. It's just that I'm a little busy," Yori replied.

Kim shrugged. Now she understood. Yori probably has secret ninja work to do, she thought.

"That's okay." She wrapped a towel around her hair to get most of the water out of it. She didn't like the idea of going outside to the cold when her hair was still wet, so she decided to sit down for a while and wait. Too bad she hadn't thought to bring a hairdryer with her. She watched how Yori got dressed and gathered her things.

"You know where to find me if you need company. It can't be much fun to be alone so far away from home," she said.

"I'm not here to have fun, but thank you for the offer. I'll keep it in mind," Yori remarked. She threw her bag over her shoulder. "Do you want to continue our training?"

"If it's okay with you and if I can fit it to my shifts," Kim said. She had made some stupid mistakes this time, and she was itching to fix them and show Yori – and probably herself – how good she really was.

Yori smiled a little. "Good. Then we shall meet again."

* * *

Yori was glad to be back in her hotel room. The battle with Kim had gone better than she had expected, and she wasn't thinking only about their skills. The determined thirst for victory had been in Kim's eyes, but Yori had seen no hatred or malice. She had been half expecting Kim to want to defeat her as revenge for not fighting for Ron's affections, but maybe they really had put that issue behind them.

She had actually had fun. Her preferred fighting style was quick and she liked to end her battles as swiftly as possible, so it had been a nice challenge to stay on the defensive and keep the battle going. It was good to try different styles every now and then, and she appreciated the chance to keep her skills polished now that she was working on a quieter mission.

It was too bad that she had had to decline Kim's offer. Regardless of the difficulties throughout the time they had known each other, Yori liked and respected the former crime fighter. She was certain that they could have been great friends if given enough time, but now was not the right moment for it.

She turned on her laptop to see if her employer had replied to her message. He had, but the content made Yori lift her brows in surprise. She read the most important sentences a few times over.

_I think you will have to go deeper if you want to find the information we need. I have managed to pull some strings to place you into a position that is closer to the target. I will send the exact details in a couple of days._

Yori turned off the laptop and leaned her chin on her palm, wondering what this new development would bring.


End file.
